9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”
10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.”
11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”
1 Kings 17:9-11
On some occasions, fear wants to pre- vent you from giving money or material things to God. In the text above we read that God told Elijah that He had commanded a widow to provide for him. “Commanded” is a strong word. It means God had ministered to that woman to sustain Elijah. He had told the woman and she understood that she was supposed to sustain Elijah. Then fear came to her.
Like the woman, some of us let fear in after God has spoken to us to do some- thing. We begin to look at what we have and then say, “If I give this to my pas- tor,” or, “If I sow this into the ministry,” or, “If I give this to this person’s life, what will I have? Let me just manage what I have. Lord, I will give it later, when I have more.” Fear will not allow you to see that you will not have more if you don’t first give sacrificially out of what you have. The Word of God says, “Give and it shall be given you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom…” (Luke 6:38).
Elijah met the woman and requested for a little water. Then he said to her: “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son” (1 Kings 17:13). He recognized the spirit of fear in the woman and so he increased the stakes and asked for more than water. If God had asked her to sustain him, then he was ready to make a demand on her faith.
Confession:
Lord, I hear Your voice and I obey it. I will not yield to the spirit of fear that wants to stop me from making financial sacrifices. When You make a demand upon my faith, I will obey.
