The Widow’s Reward
“The word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
“So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
“And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
“And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.” – I Kings 17:8-16
“Prosperity” gospel preachers abroad in the land with their “seed” money have convinced many seeking the truth that the Christian “if he has enough faith” will not suffer poverty. At no time did the Lord teach any such nonsense. The words of David the psalmist do teach; “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” – Psalms 37:25
So often in our lives we look for some palpable sign of God’s existence. We want to feel reassured that God is with us. We want to know that our faith is founded on something, rather than thin air. In this quest we seek out signs and wonders and messages that may, or may not actually be there. We rely on doctrine and churches and laity to give us assurances. That is, those who are seeking, seek these things. There is another crowd.
There is certainly a majority of persons who claim the title Christian simply because it’s tradition. They consider themselves Christian because they belong to a body of believers, or because their family calls itself by that name, or because they would simply rather not identify themselves with another group for any number of reasons. These people aren’t looking for anything but a base of stability and security. These people like ceremony and pomp because it effectively provides, in an ephemeral way, the very same feeling the other group is seeking in earnest; a foundation of belief, a place of hope, a measure of security.
“Jesus said to his disciples, These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
“The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch; Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.
Thus shalt thou say unto him, The LORD saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land. And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.” – Jeremiah 45:1-5
In the 121st Psalm and in the previous verses from the prophet Jeremiah it is obvious that in hard times the Christian is guaranteed only “his life for a prey” but when Jesus spoke of prosperity he did not promise financial plenty for all those that were chosen. More often than not we will receive the “widow’s” reward (Luke 4:24-29) for our service. That is, we will receive only what we need to keep us alive, today. Yet, in this we find something sincerely profound; God knows exactly how much we need, when we need it and what would constitute too much. He knows this and he delivers this measure to all who are faithful, every single time.
“Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” – Matthew 6:31-34
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