Fill My Cup Lord

Fill My Cup Lord

1 Kings 17:15&16
15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days.
16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.

   When the widow met Elijah, she was gathering sticks to cook a last meal for her son and then they were going to starve.  There was only enough flour and oil for one small cake and then they would be out of food.  Elijah told her to make him that cake first.  Her decision was to make him the cake and then starve with her son or give the son one last meal and then starve with him.  But Elijah reassured her that giving him the cake was what she needed to do and then to have faith in God.  Her choice.
   Often, God wants us to trust in Him, even when common sense tells us there is no reason to have hope.  Laid off from your job and no more money in the bank account and the bills are due and the pantry is nearly empty and the pastor is telling me to TITHE?  Is he kidding?  No, he’s not kidding.  He’s asking you to trust God in a difficult situation.  Do you trust God?  Will you trust God?
   The widow decided to do as he asked and she cooked that last cake and gave it to Elijah.  I have always seen her as pouring the last few drops of oil over the last handful of meal leaving the flour bin empty and the oil jar empty.  Then after she serves Elijah, she sees a little more flour and a little more oil.  And the next day she uses the last of the flour and pours the last of the oil and makes Elijah a cake.  Then she goes back and there is a little more flour and a little more oil.  God honored her faith and she and her son had enough to eat.
  We don’t want answers from God like this.  We don’t want to have our faith tested day in and day out.  We want our cup filled till it runneth over!  We want abundant answers and we want them RIGHT NOW!  We don’t like it when our faith is stretched and we need to depend on Him every day.  Couldn’t Elijah just pray for a full bin of flour and a full jar of oil?  Sure, but it takes less faith to believe for one big miracle.  It’s a bit more of a stretch when the miracle meets your needs for just a day at a time.  Or for just one meal at a time.
   Is God testing you?  Do you need to keep pouring the last of the oil and scooping the last of the flour every time?   Are you praying for a full cup running over and getting just enough to get through today?  It’s hard but you’re growing in your faith.  Growing up is never easy.  Here’s what you need to do.  Ready?  Say “Thank you, Lord, for meeting my needs today.”  Then go and share the Gospel and live life and relax knowing that God has your back.

Stephen Cram                                                                                        July 28, 2013                  

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ.  Colossians 2:8

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