The God of What Remains

“And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.” 1 Kings 17:13-15 (KJV).

   The Prophet slowly made his way down the shoreline of the great sea. The short grasses that lined the edge, once a deep verdant green, were now brittle and brown. The sun punished the soil until it cracked and became as hard as concrete. Every step was an adventure in unpleasantness, but the Prophet was not without purpose; the LORD had commanded him to come here today.

   Once he reached the outskirts of the city of Zerephath, he saw the reason for his visit. He watched from a short distance for a moment as the petite woman gathered sticks and other detritus to use as kindling. Her movements were labored and slow. This season of her life had been especially unkind.

   Finally, he heard Yahweh whisper, “Go, tell her to feed you.” So, he began walking toward her, his mission certain. She looked up from her task as she heard his steps approach. He could see the hopelessness in her eyes. Here was a woman on the verge of giving up. 

   “Hail, Woman!”, he cried out as he drew near “Bring me a sip of water I pray thee.”. He knew what he was asking; the same drought that had affected Israel, had visited this place too, and water was scarce. However, she did not hesitate. As she turned to fetch the water, the Prophet added, “Also, I need bread to eat, bring me a small morsel of that also.” 

   Her face dropped. “Sir, you don’t understand. Even now I am gathering sticks to cook the last bit of flour and oil I have so that I, and my son, might eat once more before we lie down to die.” A solitary tear slipped from her eye as she continued, “We simply do not have enough to share.” 

   Unfazed, the Prophet persisted, “Woman, I assure you, if you feed me first, the oil and flour will replenish daily until this famine subsides. The LORD God of Israel has declared it to be so! Now, go and do as the LORD has said.” 

   Perhaps with some reluctance, the widow did as the Prophet requested. She watched the small flat of bread turn brown in the intense heat of her hearth. The smell of the baking bread made her stomach protest and her mouth salivate, but she handed it over to the visitor and started back toward the house. 

  Once inside, she mournfully looked into the flour barrel. Her eyes widened as she saw a fresh mound of flour at the bottom! She ran to the other side of the kitchen and grabbed the flask that she used to store the oil. It was still full! She and her son would eat today after all! 

   That was not the last miracle the widow and her son would experience. This Yahweh that the Prophet spoke about would prove Himself again and again. 

   You see, Zerepheth was in the land of the Phoenicians, the homeland of Jezebel. Here, in a land populated by idols and demon worship, this widow would always remember that Yahweh, not Baal, not Ashtaroth, was the God of whatever remained.

   Live for God for any length of time and you will live through seasons of drought and lack. Such is the nature of life. In fact, the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:12, “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” Following that declaration however, he spoke the famous words in verse 13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. 

   So, the question is not “Will I experience seasons of drought?”, but “Will I see God’s power displayed when I do?” The answer to that is found in your willingness to trust in His promise. Will you despair of your circumstances, or will you declare His sovereignty in ANY circumstance? Will you crumble under the pressure, or will you increase in your faith?

the question is not “Will I experience seasons of drought?”, but “Will I see God’s power displayed when I do?

Dustin Midkiff

   I know it may not look like you are holding much; just a sack lunch with 2 fish and 5 loaves. Perhaps you feel like just a leader with a few hundred faithful men going up against 100,000 enemies. Maybe you feel isolated and alone in an unbelieving family. Maybe it is just you and Jesus on a job site full of sinners, or just you, a church planter, trying to win a wicked city for your King. Rest assured though, friend, it is enough! That meager meal will feed more than 5000 people, those few hundred men will come out victorious, and you can do whatever God said you could do, including winning that city! You are going to win! 

   Hear the word of testimony from a widow in Jezebel’s hometown; God is going to use what you have left! Keep on obeying the Word you received! Jesus is the God of what remains!