As surely as the LORD your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread–only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it–and die.” 13Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain on the land.’” – 1 Kings 17: 12-14
On August 16, 1987 Northwest Airlines flight 225 crashed just after taking off from the Detroit airport, killing 155 people. One survived , a four year old girl named Cecilia. The rescuers who found her thought that she was not among the passengers of the airplane. With the magnitude of the crash, there was just no way that one could survive. They actually thought that she was a passenger of one of the cars on the highway on which the plane crashed. Authorities were shocked to discover that she was indeed a plane crash survivor. Investigations later on revealed that when the plane started to go down, Cecilia’s mother, a brave woman named Paula, unbuckled her own seat belt, got down on her knees in front of Cecilia and wrapped her arms and body around her little daughter to shield her from the impact of sure death.
Our scripture text speaks too about a mother’s attempt to shield her son from death. At that time, there was a great famine that had hit the region of Zarephath brought about by an intense drought. The brooks had dried up. The land was greatly parched. There was scarcity of food all over. The mother who happened to be a widow was determined not to let herself and her son die of hunger, but she soon realized that she could never go against the forces of nature. She realized that she could only do so much. One day her most dreaded moment had come. She went to the town gate to gather some firewood she would use to bake the very last amount of floor and oil she had managed to keep. She knew in her heart that that was the very last meal she and her son would ever have. I could only imagine all the confusing thoughts going through in her mind. As a mother myself, I could never imagine the horror of seeing my own child die of hunger and thirst before my very eyes.
Obviously, the widow was preparing for the worst. Death was on her mind. It never dawned on her that the Lord had other plans. Unexpectedly, a man approached her that day in the town gate as she was gathering her firewood. She immediately recognized from the man’s appearance that he was a prophet. She later learned that his name was Elijah. She was horrified when she heard prophet Elijah’s request, “Please bring me a little water and a piece of bread.” Immediately with sarcasm and anger in her voice, she replied in v. 12, “ I swear to God, I don’t have any bread— only a handful of flour and a little oil. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may both eat it and die.” Her answer was not enough to drive away the prophet. Elijah said in a firm voice, “Don’t be afraid. Go home. Bake some bread for me and for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord said, ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain to the land.” There was so little left for her and her son. An extra mouth to feed was more than a burden. But somehow, the words of the prophet came upon her with unexpected impact. Though her heart may have resisted, she went away and did as she was told. God honored her faith. In verse 15 and 16 we are told that that the Lord miraculously worked on her behalf. The jar of flour and the jug of oil did not dry up just as prophet Elijah had prophesied. There was food on the table every day for her and her son.
The Lord’s ways are never our ways. He moves in our lives and in our situations in ways we don’t understand and ways that even seem to be unjust and cruel. But in the end, when we choose to humble ourselves and walk in faith, we always see his glorious purposes.
In Psalm 46:1, God is called as our Ever-Present Help in Trouble. That is very assuring and comforting. In a world where everything is constantly moving, changing and shifting, we cannot help but be apprehensive about our future. In a world where powers and loyalties can just change overnight, and where political structures and economic systems are volatile and unpredictable, it is good to know the availability and accessibility of God’s help in all our times of trouble. Surely, our supplies and resources get depleted. Our most trusted family and friends cannot help us at times. Like the widow, we face seasons of drought and scarcity. But the truth is that God always sends us the help we so need. When there is little flour and oil left, God calls us to focus on his goodness – – – to trust with all our heart and depend on his graciousness.
It’s amazing how God can make us “useful” even in the most unexpected seasons of our lives. Even in a time of desperation and hunger, the widow of Zarephath became a channel of God’s blessing and provision to Elijah. When times are not good in our lives, it is so tempting to sulk, to retreat and to hoard the little we have. The tendency to be self-absorbed is so strong when we are hard-pressed. We see from biblical history that it is the powerless, the simple and the have-nots that have become the powerful channels of transformation in the world. Even with our very little, we can be channels of provisions and blessings for others.
Today let us honor our mothers whose faith is like that of the widow of Zarephath. Praise God for miracles! Praise God for the faith of mothers! God never fails to send help. God always multiplies the very little. We only need trust him with all our hearts! A blessed Mothers’ Day to all!
