"But she said, 'I swear by the Lord your God that I don't have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.'"1 Kings 17:9 & 12 (NLT)
I've read this story so many times.
It is hard to even picture being in her place. Down to your last handful of flour. Gathering sticks to cook one final meal for you and your child. Planning to lay down and die after.
But this time through, something hit me that I had never noticed before.
Verse 9.
God didn't just send Elijah to her. He told Elijah, I've already instructed a widow there to feed you.
He told her first.
For years I read this and thought, seriously Elijah? You are going to walk up to a starving widow and ask her for the last of her food? But that isn't what happened. God told him to go. And God had already spoken to her about it before he ever showed up.
I can't stop thinking about her side of that conversation.
Imagine going about your day, completely hopeless, knowing this is the end. And in the middle of that, you hear from God. He says someone is coming. Feed him.
If I'm being honest, I think I'd have questioned the whole thing. I'd have thought I was losing it. God, I literally have no food. And You are telling me a stranger is about to show up wanting to eat?
Then Elijah finally arrives, and the first thing he asks for is a cup of water.
I wonder if he stopped there on purpose. Like he could see her. Could see the situation. Maybe he thought, I'll just ask for water. Food is too much to ask of her.
And I wonder if she felt a little wave of relief. Oh good. Water. I can do water. Please don't ask for food.
But then he asks. And her answer tells you everything. I swear by your God, I've nothing but a handful of flour and a little oil. I'm about to cook this last meal and then we are going to die.
She knew. She had heard from God. But sitting there with empty hands, it still felt impossible.
I think what gets me most is wondering if knowing made it easier. Did she have a little less fear because God had told her ahead of time? Did she have a thread of hope, even a small one, that maybe if she just obeyed, something would happen?
Because Elijah doesn't wait until after she cooks to reassure her. He tells her right then, before she gives him a single bite, that if she does this, she will be provided for until the famine ends.
That is the part I keep coming back to.
God spoke to her in her hopelessness.
He told her ahead of time.
He sent provision wrapped up in what looked like another request.
And the promise came before the obedience was finished.
She had to start cooking with nothing.
That is so much of what walking with God looks like. He tells us something. It doesn't match what we can see. We have to move before the math works out. And the provision shows up in the middle of the obeying, not before.