Pause

Having enough. That may be the biggest single issue that leads to human conflict. Somebody is afraid of not having enough and so tries to make up the difference by taking from somebody else.

But Scripture tells us again and again that there is more than enough for everybody. In fact, we would do better to worry about how to best give stuff away than to concern ourselves with collecting more.

There's enough time right now for you to consider what you have as a follower of God, and what you might do to give away what you own.

Listen

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.” As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.”

1 Kings 17:8-14

Think

What do you think are the biggest issues facing our culture today? There are a million different ways one can answer that question. I suspect that two of the biggest ones we deal with are fear and anxiety. God often calls us to risky, courageous acts of faith.

Whether it’s speaking out against oppression, defending a cause for justice that seems overwhelmingly unpopular, or something as small as offering your last scraps of bread to a stranger who comes in the name of the Lord.

Elijah speaks the same words in the thirteenth verse that are so often spoken from the lips of God throughout the Bible.

“DO NOT BE AFRAID.”

Sometimes, in those rare moments when we can let go of the fears and anxieties that get in the way of courageous faith, God’s transformative power surprises us unexpectedly and truly comes alive in our world.

Marc van Bulck

Pray

God of love and goodness, remind me that I am loved, claimed, and created in your image. Use me as a vessel of your surprising transformative power for others this day. Amen.

Go

Look around right now;
See all that you possess,
All that is yours.

Now remind yourself
That it all belongs to God;
It is in your hands
For just a moment.

Live your life today
Grateful
For the abundance
Of grace that is yours

To give away.