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Feast on the Bread in Lean Times

  • Rebekah Montgomery Right tot the Heart
  • Updated Apr 25, 2010
Feast on the Bread in Lean Times

Hurricanes, floods, foreclosures, and banks collapsing — Do they have you frightened?

The God Who Supplies says, "Fear not!"

Bread From Heaven

A voice spoke as the widow reached for a twig on the ground.

"A drink, please. A little water in a jar."

She squinted through the midday glare at the wild, unkempt man. Dressed in camel's skin, he looked like a refugee of the present famine. Or a lunatic. But she was alert to the possibility he might be the prophet God commanded her to care for — not that her life wasn't hard enough already.

"Then please bring me a piece of bread," the wild man asked.

She laughed. "I'll get you a drink of water — not that there is a lot of water to be had — but as for bread, as surely as the LORD your God lives, I don't have any. All I have is a little meal and oil and I'm going to bake a biscuit over these twigs and share it with my son. Then we'll starve to death."

The man spoke with authority. "Do that. Make a biscuit for yourself and your son. But first, make one and bring it to me. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel says, 'The canister of flour will not be used up or the cruet of oil will not run dry until the day the God Who Supplies sends rain.'

"Fear not!"

As if moving in a dream the widow made the bread, her son watching with hungry eyes. As the aroma of bread filled the house, he whimpered and reached for it.

When it was baked, before she changed her mind, she ran through the streets back to the prophet, her son's hungry wails echoing behind her. She thrust the biscuit and jar of water into the hand of the prophet and went home. Had she lost her mind to stake her own life and that of her son on God's provision?

Trembling, she reached for the flour canister to shake the meager dregs into her kneading bowl. To her surprise, a healthy measure fell out. She poured a stream of oil. Despite what she had given to the prophet, there was enough to provide for today.

And the next day, after she fed the prophet, there was enough again. And the day after that. And everyday after that until sky finally turned dark and the rain fell.

Did she wonder every time she gave the prophet a biscuit, "Am I shorting myself and my son?" Did she ask, "What if God doesn't supply today? What if He can't?"

What do you ask yourself? Does your hand pause every Sunday over the offering plate while your bills parade through your mind? Do you wonder, "Will God supply? Can He still do it?"

The God Who Supplies says, "Fear not." He hasn't become less competent in the years since He multiplied the flour and oil for the widow. He came all the way from heaven to be our Bread of Life.

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." 1 Kings 17:13

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© Rebekah Montgomery 2008
For reprint requests, contact Rebekah at her website,
www.Rebekah Montgomery.com

Right-click here to download pictures. To help protect your privacy, Outlook prevented automatic download of this picture from the Internet.Rebekah Montgomery, author/speaker/teacher, is a gifted, dynamic communicator. She is the author of more than five books and has penned 1,100 articles. She shares tough real-life topics and biblical application in a simple easy to grasp manner. To book Rebekah for your next event visit www.rebekahmontgomery.com. Rebekah is also the editor of Right to the Heart of Women and a publisher at Jubilant Press.