Single Parenting and God’s Provision
She was a desperate woman. A widow with two young boys. Her husband had died some time ago leaving her with debts she could not pay. Yes, he had been a good and religious man but now she had to carry on without him. She had tried hard to make the payments and take care of her sons. But today, the truth of the situation his her: her purse was empty and her cupboard was bare. She had also received news that her husband’s creditor was demanding payment and was coming to take her two boys to work for him as slaves in order to pay off her husband’s debt.
In desperation she ran to Elijah’s house. She cried out to him saying, “My husband is dead, and you know he was a man that revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves”.
Elijah asked her, “How can I help you? What do you have in your house?”
“I have nothing there at all”, she said, “except a little oil.”
Then Elijah told her to “go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled put it to one side.”
Knowing the little oil she had in the house, the woman had faith in what the man of God told her. She could have thought of his advice as being impractical or inappropriate for ‘such a time as this’, but she didn’t. She had a faith of her own. So she went with her boys to collect jars.
When the boys and her had collected the jars from the neighbors, she shut the door behind her and her sons. She began to pour oil. One jar filled, then two, then three. The boys kept bringing the jars to her and she kept pouring.
Imagine the excitement and sense of wonder growing in that little home as each jar is filled from the small bottle. Imagine all the jars in the room being filled with oil. The mother smiled at her boys and they smiled back. A sense of quiet appreciation grew as the family realized they were witness to a miracle, a private demonstration of God’s mercy and grace. This miracle could only take place because a mother had faith in God and obeyed what the man of God told her. She knew where to turn to help and she was not disappointed.
“Bring me another jar”, she said to her son. But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
In excitement the woman ran back to Elijah’s house and told Elijah what had happened. Elijah said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”
How the neighborhood must have buzzed as mom and her boys lugged the jars down to the market and sold the oil. How faith must have grown in the hearts of the woman and her sons as the coins were collected. How grateful she must have been as she thankfully paid off the pursuing creditor.
How well she must have slept that night knowing she had a God who could do miracles. She had a God who cared about her and her two boys. Yes, she had a God that could be relied on. How thankful she must have been that she had taken the risk in collecting those jars when she knew she did not have oil to fill them. What a miracle they would have missed! Imagine how she and her boys would recount the story over and over to one another in the years to come. God can be relied on!!
The God of yesterday is still the God of today. The widow’s God is still the same God that cares about you and your children. He is still in the business of miracles. He still looks for hearts that will trust Him, hearts that will take the risk of believing and obeying.
“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 |
