Sacrificial Giving part 2

One of the greatest beauties of Bible analysis is getting to watch God work behind the scenes in the life of His people.  We will see this today as we study the sacrificial giving of a widow woman.

Here’s a little snack:  Drawing our text this week from 1Kings 17, we literally find God working behind the scenes of two people at one time. Both for the same purpose: to allow us to see the beautify of sacrificial giving.  As flippant readers of God’s Word, we have a tendency to look past the not-so-obvious and glean only that which we need; forsaking the mass quantities of leftovers reserved only for those who seek diligently for the Lord.

One such leftover is found in this week’s text. While the story in 1Kings 17 is broken into two separate scenes, when we closely examine the story we see that the two scenes overlap.  At the same time that the prophet Elijah was joyfully being fed by ravens sent by God, the widow of Zarephath wondered where she might find food for her and her son.  One was stuffed to the gills while the other was famished and ready to die.  Both, however, were unknowing participants in a play-write that could only be stroked by the divine pen of a Sovereign God.

While Elijah was guided loudly by the audible voice of God, the widow unknowingly participated in silence.  Behind the scenes God was preparing her for never-ending sustenance, and she had no idea. Friend, in our loneliness, in our weakness, in our silence, the voice of provision echoes loudly in the ears of obedient prophets.  While one is questioning, the other is answering. While one is doubting, the other is awe struck. While one begging the other is running to provide.God will never truly leave us by ourselves.  In our most silent of moments, He is whispering hope.  It’s when God is seemingly the quietest that we must believe the loudest.  For those who listen loudest hear loudest.

In due time God not only provided a meal for the obedient prophet through the sacrifice of a widow, but He also provided eternal sustenance for the widow through the obedience of the prophet.The question is to ask is, which are you?  Are you the blessed prophet obeying the loud voice of direction or are you the struggling widow waiting on the Hand of Provision.  Both are necessary if ever we are to see God work behind the scenes.