What's It Like To Bake Your Last Piece of Bread?
When it's not easy to believe in the providence of God
It’s easy to talk about God’s providence when you have a lot of money in the bank and no worries for your financial stability.
You have a good job, you have some investments, and you may even have side hustles to give you extra income.
But what if it comes to the point when you don’t even know where you’d get your next meal?
What if you were to bake your last piece of bread?
That’s exactly what happened to the woman the prophet Elijah talked to in the Old Testament.
“As the LORD 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. Behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”
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 the LORD, 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 the LORD sends rain on the earth.’ ”
She went and did according to the saying of Elijah; and she, he, and her household ate many days. The jar of meal didn’t run out and the jar of oil didn’t fail, according to the LORD’s word, which he spoke by Elijah.
- 1 Kings 17, WEBBE
As though it wasn’t enough to bake your last piece of bread, a man suddenly asked that you give that last piece to him!
If you were in her place, would you do it? Would you not rather enjoy that piece of bread for yourself and for your family? Why let go of the last thing that can satisfy your hunger?
But the woman in the story trusted the prophet’s word. She gave him even the last piece of bread she had. What could she have thought that made her do it?
We’d never know for now her true reason for her astounding act of faith. All we know is that she emptied herself, and she received more than what she ever thought she could possibly have!
When trying times come, let us remember this story about Elijah and the woman.
God may be asking you today for something you feel would be to your loss. You may be filled with so much worry and doubt. But if you could only trust God, even with that last thing you think you own, He’d give you more than what you could possibly earn for yourself.
He’s not asking you to give what you have to take something away from you. He is asking you to have “faith” in Him. Because with faith, nothing is impossible!
Do you have any questions to God? You may want to take a look at my book “Questions to God” — click here.
To be sure,I have lived in that survival mode at different points in my life,even very recently.If it weren't for our faith,my wife and I,,(and faith causes God to act in your favor,)we wouldn't,'t have survived!