Being a newlywed and moving into a new home has brought many joys, many adjustments and many more responsibilities. The list of items gets longer but we still only have 24hrs in a day. It wasn’t long before I felt my cup was running dry and that there wasn’t enough time. Gabe always says that when life gets busy, one of the first things to go is your time with God.
With that in mind, I have kept my morning routine of reading the bible but what I’ve noticed is that my efforts to engage with the word have declined. It wasn’t time with God, it was time for God. The difference is subtle, one is rooted in relationship and the other is rooted in religion. One way you can tell is by how you feel when you leave your time with God.
I was keeping the habit but missing the point. I was treating reading the bible as a thing to cross off my to-do list. It became a chore, something I had to do for God rather than time spent with God.
I say this because when we look at putting God first, our brains will often go “Oh one more thing to add to the list” but what I want to show you is that putting God first with the right heart allows us to receive all that we need for each day. It’s about a posture, an attitude that says “God, you are my source and sustainer, I need you!”
So today I want to take look at some scripture that highlights the importance of putting God first.
1 Kings 17:7-15
Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”
12 “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.”
13 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. 14 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.’”
15 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. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.
In this scripture Elijah was asking a widow for some drink and food and in response she replied I only have a handful of flour and a little olive oil in a jar. Elijah responded by telling her not to be afraid and go and do as she was going to do but first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, then make something for yourself and your son.
Does this sound familiar?
How many times has God asked you for something and you’ve responded with “I only have a handful of it.” Like a handful of time, a handful of energy, a handful of strength, you name it, I only got a handful!
But what God does through Elijah, is ever so slightly shift her perspective. He tells her to go home and do whatever she said she was going to do but FIRST, make him a small loaf of bread and bring it to him, then when you’re done make something for yourself and your son.
The widow was literally on her way to have her “last supper” with her child because she had no more food left and Elijah comes and asks her to make him a small loaf!?! He didn’t even acknowledge that she said she was going to eat and die?!
Well Elijah knew something that this widow didn’t know. God is enough! Earlier in verse 4 God said ”You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.” And that is what happened. So when God said in verse 9, “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” There was no doubt in Elijah’s mind that this widow was going to supply him with food.
Have you ever been at a place where you feel like you have nothing left to give? Like the last bits of time, energy, and strength are about to run out…
Do you feel like there’s just not enough in you to give any more?
Can I suggest to you what Elijah suggested to the widow?
Do whatever you were going to do today but FIRST, go to God and bring Him what little you have.
When the widow did what Elijah told her to do there was food EVERYDAY for Elijah, the women and her son. The jar of flour that had only a handful had not been used up. The jar of oil did not run dry.
When we go to God FIRST, with our time, energy, strength etc. He is able to provide exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ever ask for. Our jars of time, energy, strength etc. will be filled and not used up. We will not run dry when we know that God has enough for us because He is enough for us.
Father, as we come to you first with all that we have, I pray that we would leave full and overflow with your grace, mercy and love to those around us. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!