A Little Jar of Flour

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Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce. Then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. Proverbs 3:9-10

The little jar of flour sat on the kitchen windowsill. It stood there quietly like a statue honoring a hero as a reminder of God’s provision. Times were financially tight for our little family of four and that jar stood before me every day as a tangible reminder of God’s faithful provision.

First Kings 17 tells the story of the prophet Elijah and the widow of Zarephath. Upon being asked to provide the prophet with a morsel to eat, she responds by telling him she has nothing to give him and is heading home to a handful of flour left in a jar to make her last meager meal. The prophet presses the issue and tells her to go home and bake her meal, but only after she provides him with a small cake first. He concludes his request with the promise that if she cares for his need first then God will provide for her and the jar of flour will never be empty.

The woman acted in faith following his instructions. She fed the prophet first, then fed herself and her son.  And, miraculously her flour jar never ran dry.

The woman’s never empty jar of flour inspired my own. My husband and I had made a commitment to God early in our marriage that I would stay home when we had children.  We honored that commitment for over 16 years, even though living on one income should never have worked. As a minister’s family, we were never wealthy, but we were never without. Our needs were met. Our bellies were full. Our bodies were clothed. Our mortgage payments were met. We truly tried to honor God with our lives and I believe God honored that commitment.

And for many of those years, my partially filled flour jar flashed like a beacon of light signaling to me that God would continually provide for us, just as He did for the widow.

God honors our faith. He asks us to trust Him.
To put Him first.
To rely on Him.
To not be afraid.
To let Him provide for our needs.
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Do you need a tangible reminder of God’s faithful provision today? Place a little jar of flour where you can see it. Use it to remind yourself to give God his portion first and then to trust Him to provide the rest. Ask Him to meet your needs. Our God is faithful and He will take care of you.
 

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