Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go and do as you have said; but make me a little cake from it first, and bring it out to me, and afterward make some for you and for your son.
1 Kings 17:13 (emphasis added)

There had been a drought in the land for some time – both Luke 4:25 and James 5:17 says it lasted three years and six months but we’re not sure at what point this verse occurs within that timeline. It wasn’t at the beginning. During this time Elijah had been getting supernatural help. This woman had not. He met her when she was out gathering sticks to get fire for cooking. Her plan? Cook a small cake of oil & flour and then she and her son were going to starve. She didn’t mind sharing some of her water, but she seemed to balk at making Elijah the cake. She had just enough to feed herself and her son one last time – and I imagine the son was going to get the larger share. And here was a prophet – another mouth – asking for what little she had. Again, she SEEMED to balk.

Earlier the Lord had told Elijah that He had commanded a widow to provide for him (verse 8-9): “After a while, the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. The LORD’s word came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain you.”” Notice she isn’t saying no. She isn’t refusing. She is stating the truth. She is perhaps questioning whether he is the man that she was to provide for as much as Elijah was questioning whether she was the widow. The region of Sidon – where they were – was where Jezebel came from. It was technically within the boundaries of the Tribe of Asher, but it was never fully conquered. But the widow had to have been aware of Yahweh. She uses His name. Verse 12: “She said, “As Yahweh your God lives, I don’t have anything baked, but only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jar.” So she knew who Yahweh was. She knew Elijah was a Jew. And how many Jewish travellers asking HER for food was she going to come across? Still, in such a severe drought as this, you’d better be careful, right?

An impression you can take from the text is that she was in denial of what God had commanded her to do. She was focused on herself and her woes. She was denying God and the words He used to her. She was throwing everything on Elijah and God and rejecting the truth of things. If that is true, she wasn’t running from God. She was running from that which God called her to do. Her denial was of assignment, not divinity. You can also take the impression that she was being cautious. That she was willing, but not willing to make a mistake. She would do what God said, but only what He said. Anyone she met that wasn’t ‘the one’ would be turned aside, so she was being cautious. I lean toward the first one, but the text doesn’t give us enough information to be clear.

Now Elijah had already been given a test of water. He had hidden in the Wadi Kerith that faced the Jordan. There he was fed by bread and meat for however long the Lord had him sit there – the bible gives no timeline. Where were the ravens getting this food? Who was baking bread in the middle of a drought? Well, Elijah was operating in Israel. The temple was in Judah. We don’t know exactly where this Wadi was. But one of the guesses puts it about 15 km from Jerusalem. That isn’t too far to fly, is it? In spite of a famine, the temple were still producing bread for the worship of the Lord. They were still sacrificing offerings. Would it be so odd for the Lord to provide for Elijah out of the temple where the birds could easily snatch bread and meat? Speculation, I know. But it makes sense to me. I like to think that is true. Regardless, Elijah was somewhere with natural water and plenty of food supernaturally provided by the Lord. The water ran out. He didn’t leave. He stayed. The water dried up. He stayed. Elijah didn’t budge until he heard from the Lord and he didn’t hear that until after the water dried up.

Now he was somewhere that had plenty of water. In a drought, she was willing to give him water without issue, complaint, or anything. No, the test in this town was food. You might say the last place he had to trust for food, but that really isn’t true. God commanded animals. Animals are smart, but they are not in the same class as humans. They have no free will. They follow directions and instinct. There had been no source of food in the Wadi, but he knew God commanded the birds and so he didn’t have to worry about it. Here, there was no evidence of food. Worse, what was there wasn’t enough for the three of them. They had to use faith, they had to use free will, and they had to trust completely on the Lord. The woman obviously isn’t used to this. She is taking faith baby steps. She had an assignment. She wasn’t walking in it confidently, but it was laid on her. Perhaps at the leading of the Spirit, Elijah makes it easy for her. He encourages her not to be fearful. We know that Elijah was anointed of God and currently walking in 100% obedience to the Lord. There was authority in His words.

“Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go and do as you have said; but make me a little cake from it first, and bring it out to me, and afterward make some for you and for your son. For Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘The jar of meal will not run out, and the jar of oil will not fail, until the day that Yahweh sends rain on the earth.’” (that’s vs 13-14). She has been commanded by God to feed a prophet. She recognises him as a prophet (your God, remember?) or at least a Jew. And she has been given a promise, with a condition. If you’ll feed me first, Elijah says. Why? Because he is greedy? No, to give her a chance to show obedience. To show she has been persuaded. To give of her first fruits. To demonstrate faith, which is manifested obedience. We have dominion on earth, remember? The Lord has restricted His involvement to interactions with us, not dictatorial acts. When we act out His Word, instructions, promises, or commands; He then moves to fulfil. We trigger His responses with our faith.

The widow chose to believe. She chose to pick up her assignment properly. She walks confidently and doesn’t look back. She demonstrated faith as she went and did what Elijah told her to do. And for as long as he was with her, they had meal and oil. Now she was taking baby leaps. They did not starve. But there is again, more. The promise of the Lord wasn’t dependent on Elijah’s presence. Eventually, Elijah leaves. He walks away to continue the confrontation with the priests of Baal and the drama with Ahab and Jezebel. But the widow and her son still ate. Because until the conflict with the idol worshippers was over. Until Elijah had walked out the victory God gave him, there was no rain. But the Lord had said to her the jar of meal would not run out nor the jar of oil until rain fell again. He provided for her just as He said He would, no matter where Elijah was. Until rain fell, she and her family were fed.

One of the names of the Lord means that He Will Provide (Genesis 22:14). And He does provide for us. Sometimes by guiding. Sometimes by blessing. And sometimes by supernatural means. Sometimes by natural means. It does still happen today. It’s not just stories from the bible. I’ve heard of it from trusted people. I’ve witnessed it first hand myself. I’ve had food stretch in impossible ways. For Christmas of 2021 we were blessing the baristas of local coffee shops working on Christmas Day by bringing them food. Two or three coffee shops, I think. I had enough food for what I thought I would need, but at the last minute two more stores and ten or fifteen people were added. Okay. We’d made the commitment to bless them. Whatever you want, Lord. Help it work out how you want.

I made what I could, planning to give less food to each and varying the menu (two might get green beans and another carrots). But once the food was made and I had put it into the containers, there was a different story. What was going to barely stretch to cover the stores was now enough to give everyone some of everything. Plus there was enough remaining for our large family (7 of us) to eat – with leftovers that covered a meal with extended family (total of 10 people).

You might think that I had miscalculated. That I didn’t realise how much I had to work with. Let me tell you something. Those stores fed themselves for three days on the food they received that day. It should have been enough for one meal and maybe some take home (depending on how much they ate). I didn’t have enough for a feast. But they got a feast. It was impossible. You don’t have to believe me. But I am telling you that food got stretched in an impossible way.

Maybe this wasn’t at ‘keep you from starving during a drought’ levels of miracle. But anything beyond the possible counts in my book. Why did it happen? Because the Lord told us to bless those stores. We committed and walked in the idea of blessing them to the best of OUR ability. We weren’t going to limit God, but do our best for Him and them. When it looked like they might get an okay blessing, He stepped in and gave them a full blessing. The Lord wants us Blessed. Beyond resources. Beyond reason. But not Beyond Him. No one can out-bless Jesus.

Will it happen every time? I don’t know. I haven’t seen it again. But it could. Should an economic disaster or supply line Armageddon happen, I have total faith in the idea that we could feed our neighbourhood out of our pantry. Nothing is beyond Jesus. The real question is what are you persuaded of? What level of persuasion, of faith, are you lifting up to God? What are you looking for Him to open for you? A window? Or the barn doors of the storehouses of Heaven? We live in a chaotic time. Food security is a worry for many people. But if you reject that worry. If you choose to say you don’t care about gas prices, transportation strikes, supply chain disruptions, failed crops, lack of food in stores, or anything else that comes up. If you choose to be totally, absolutely, one hundred percent persuaded that the Lord God who Sustains can and WILL sustain you and provide for ALL of you needs, then anything is possible. WITH God ANYTHING is possible (Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27, and Luke 18:27).

Rely on God. Listen to His voice. Be obedient even (and especially) when it looks impossible. Be persuaded that what He says He can or will do He is capable of doing (Romans 4:20-22). Don’t be afraid, stressed, anxious, or depressed about the appearance of lack. He Who Sustains will NEVER let you down. If you believe nothing else, believe that. Jesus doesn’t lie. God doesn’t let you down. Ever. So don’t fear. Instead, believe. Have faith, not fear. Let the Word persuade you. Let Him bless you.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: Ephesians 1

Before the world was founded, we were chosen. Jesus redeemed us. He lavished grace on us. He blesses us with wisdom and insight and reveals mysteries. He helps us accomplish all things. He speaks truth – all, full, and only truth. He can reveal to us the riches of the glorious inheritance He has planned for us. Now if all of that isn’t showing the love that God has for us, I don’t know what does. But DO we see it? The prayer of Paul for the Ephesian church in verses 17-23 is a prayer that we should all be praying daily for ourselves and those in our church family. That we receive a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus. That the eyes of our hearts be enlightened. That we know His hope and the riches of the glory of His inheritance in every way. That we see His power and the strength of His might. This is the God we rely on. Do we know what we rely on? Here Paul encourages us to. To know and have revealed to us what God is and what God can do. To truly comprehend what the Name of Jesus is and what it can do. Demons quake and beg. The world shakes. Do you have that knowledge inside you? That THIS is the God who loves and corrects you? I pray that you pray this prayer and come into the knowledge of who Jesus is. Not overnight, but over time as you meditate this chapter out. If it gets a hold of you, there is no end to the change in your life that is possible. Our victory is in Jesus. The more we understand Jesus, the more of His victory we can walk in. Remember that greater is He who is in you than what you are in. Sickness? He’s bigger. Lack? He’s bigger. Decay? He’s bigger. Infirmity? He’s bigger. Whatever, wherever, He is bigger. Open your mind to the possibility that He can open your heart to that truth – THE truth – today.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.