Morning by Morning, May 7 - "I Will Guide and I Will Provide."
Good Morning, Lord Jesus. I look to You and listen for Your leading, for Your sheep hear Your voice (John 10:27). ...
"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 jar of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.' She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord that He spoke by Elijah" (1 Kings 17:8-16).
Father, You didn't sent Elijah to steal the last meal from this lady and her son. All that he said to her, he spoke "according to the word of the Lord that (You) spoke by Elijah" (v. 16). He was there because You sent him there. He was there because she needed hope in her heart, food in her belly, and security for her family.
But You didn't sent Elijah with a hand out. You sent Elijah with an opportunity for her to stretch her hand out -- to take what she had and give it to You. You took it and You multiplied it. The jar of meal was not emptied and the jug of oil did not fail. You were saying to her, "I will guide and I will provide."
It's still true for us in the "famine" and "plague" of our day. We're tempted to give in to worry and fear and anxiety about our needs for provision and security. We're tempted to give in to confusion about our next steps and the choices set before us. And You say to us, "I will guide and I will provide."
Come, Holy Spirit. Let us hear the word of the Lord in our hearts. Let us trust You in faith and follow You in obedience -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of God. We may think we have nothing left, but we have You. We may think there's no way to come through what we're facing now, but You are the Way.
Show us how to stretch out our hands to offer what we have -- love, hope, encouragement, an offer of help, a smile (even if we have to lift up our face mask for a moment for somebody to see it). As we stretch out our hands, show us how to lift up our hearts to You, to lift up our faith in You, and trust You to guide and to provide. Just like You always have. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My friend, may you be encouraged in the Lord, listening for His leading, trusting Him to guide and to provide for all you need and all He desires to do through you, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Daily Prayer Journey with Tommy Hays
Please share this word to encourage a friend!
