Faith as Currency in Our FinancesSample

Our world is currently facing severe economic challenges, but I’m guessing you probably still have access to a supermarket that stocks a range of oils – olive, grapeseed, sunflower, and so on. When it comes to flour, we can choose between plain, self-raising, wholemeal, organic, and the list goes on. In 1 Kings 17, we read about a widow who had very few options available to her, and very little oil and flour left. And yet her faith led to a supernatural outpouring of God’s provision, and her example still speaks powerfully into our twenty-first-century circumstances.

The story goes that Elijah meets this widow in Zarephath. He asks her for bread and water. She explains that she can’t oblige; she’s gathering sticks for a fire to make a meal for her son and herself with the last of her resources. And then they’re going to die. Incredibly, Elijah tells her not to be afraid. He says, ‘Go home and do as you’ve 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. 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.”’

Maybe you’ve come to the end of your rope – financially or in some other way – convinced there’s no hope. When economic times are tough, prices are high, and disposable income has been squeezed, our natural reaction is to keep the little we have and ration our consumption. If I was that widow, I’d likely have been horrified by Elijah’s instruction. Yet we know God can miraculously increase our meager resources, and He calls us to be generous. As the widow’s story continues, we see how God multiplied the little she had. He blessed her wondrously, but first He called her to be obedient by being generous with what seemed to be inadequate means. This is one of the most insightful illustrations of how our faith in God can release more blessings. Be honest with yourself about where God is nudging you to be obedient and generous this week with your finances or material resources. He sees your almost-empty jars. Don’t be afraid.

It’s profoundly encouraging to know that God will never ask us to give without providing the offering. The widow’s story has a marvellous ending as God keeps her jars filled and her family fed. She believes Elijah, obeys and gives what she has, and her faith is strengthened as God steps in with supernatural provision (1 Kings 17:14–16). If God is prompting you to give, may your faith be strengthened as you trust Him to provide the offering. He can use the smallest sacrifice to release blessings in your life and the lives of those around you.