“I wish I had more __________”

When is the last time you wished you had more of something? If you’re me, it was this morning when you woke up wishing you could’ve had more sleep!!

Other times we wish for more time, more money, more friends, more, more, more… Most commercials we see on TV make us desire more of what we already have or the next big thing or something we didn’t even know we needed.

It seems like when we start to run out of something, it is natural to start to hold even harder on to what we are low on.

There is a widow in 1 Kings 17 who was running out of food. She was a single mother who had no more time, no more money, no more friends. She was stressed and anxious. She couldn’t afford any more food for her or her son. She was hopeless and at the end of her rope. Here’s what happened:

“As surely as the LORD your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread–only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it–and die.” Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain on the land.'” (1 Kings 17:12-15)

Can you put yourself in her situation? She hardly has enough bread for herself or her child, and this “prophet of God” asks for some of her food? I think I may have given him a few choice words and said no way. At first it is confusing why he would have even had the gall to ask a preposterous question like that. But then we read the rest of the story.

Elijah comes with a peace and says, “Don’t be afraid.” Now naturally, when someone says don’t do something, we often do the opposite. But here Elijah is, saying not to worry about how little you have, not to wish for more than you have, not to desire more than you need, but to not be afraid and trust God. How hard would this have been??

For those of us who so strongly desire security and having enough for ourselves and our family, this would have been next to impossible. How could we trust this man and what he says about God? But the widow does trust him! And what happens? God provides. God comes through. God rescues her from despair and hopelessness.

We don’t have to be afraid because God provides everything we need. God always comes through with His plan, in His timing, for His glory (and often for our growth). We don’t have to run after security or saying, “I wish I had more ______. That would really make us secure or set or comfortable.”

Instead, we can trust that God has a plan, we can wisely live our lives with the Bible as our guidance and standard, and live such good lives full of joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment through faith in Jesus Christ. As this story shows, it’s rarely easy, but it’s always worth it.