Divine Purpose (Part 5)

1 Kings 17:14 "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." 

The widow who lived at Zarepath was at a point of starvation.  She was at the end of her own natural resources, at the point of her greatest need.  She was fearful, had lost hope, and was preparing to die.  The good news is that this is exactly when God steps in; when you get to the end of your own natural resources.  It is when it seems all hope is gone that the resurrecting power of God speaks life into your negative circumstances.  Like the little widow lady, you may feel there is no hope in your situation.  The famine may have been so long and so dry that you are ready to give up.  But when you have the sentence of death in the natural, then the resurrecting power of God steps in to do a miracle!  

Elijah asked the widow woman to bring him some water and make him a cake to eat.  She responded that all she had was a handful of flour and a little oil, that she was fixing it as a final meal for herself and her family, and then they would prepare to die.  This woman's natural resources were totally exhausted and she was fearful and hopeless. She was actually making plans to starve to death!  Talk about a financial famine!  This may be where you are today.  Your "hand full of flour and oil" may represent your meager paycheck or bank account, or your limited talents and abilities.  As long as you keep your eyes on your own resources, you will remain hopeless.  The more you look at your problems, the more fearful you will become and the more impossible your situation will seem.  If you continue to look to your own resources, you will die spiritually and financially.

The prophets first words to this widow woman were, "Fear not!"  Then he directed her to use the small provisions she had to make a meal for him first and then make something for herself and her son.   Then Elijah gave the widow woman God's promise:

"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."

This woman received the Word of the Lord, believed it,  and acted upon it.  She put obedience to God's commands ahead of her own needs.  She baked a cake for Elijah first and then she discovered she had enough oil and flour to meet her own needs.  Just as God promised, the jar of flour and the jug of oil did not run empty.  Each day of the prolonged famine, as the widow reached down into the jar the flour was sufficient.  As she poured from the vessel of oil, there was plenty.  God may not send a huge inheritance to fix your financial problems.  However, if you will put Him first and release what you have at His command,  your needs will be meteven in times of famine. 

The Apostle Paul confirmed this principle when he wrote these words: 

1 Corinthians 1:8-10 "For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us."  

When you come to the end, God steps in.