Likening the Scriptures

You know that story from the Old Testament about the widow who is gathering sticks for the fire that will prepare her last meal when the prophet Elijah moseys up? No? Basically, there is a famine in the land, the woman has no food left and she is destitute. The prophet approaches her (the Lord has directed him there) and asks for some water. On her way to get the water, he calls again and asks for some bread as well. She informs him the only food she has is a handful of meal and a little oil and she is preparing it for her and her son to eat before they die.

It's a terribly sad situation.

(painting by Elspeth Young)

And then Elijah tells her not to fear and carry on with her plans, but to give make him a cake with the remaining meal and oil first. Before she and her son eat. I've wondered if Elijah agonized over this direction. Did he feel guilty about making such a bold request? It seems awfully chauvenistic (but just wait, the story has a really cool ending). He goes on to explain that if she does this, she won't run out of meal or oil until the Lord sends rain again.

So, she does it. And she and her house eat for many days thereafter, "And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord." (1 Kings 17:16)

She did what the Prophet asked, and look at the incredible blessing that resulted. It's a powerful lesson.

While I don't have a holy bucket of meal nor a sacred vat of oil through which the Lord pours out his mercies, he has blessed me in other ways. For example, I've been using the same deodorant for upwards of 6 months now.

Yes, I apply (and sometimes reapply) on a daily basis. And yet, the deodorant wastes not neither does it's cruse of antiperspirant fail me. This occurred to me yesterday morning when, the deodorant I've been expecting to use up for several months now keeps deodorizing day after day after day. And I thought, "I'm having a widow of Zarapheth experience!" No, a prophet has not come and asked, "Let me therefore use that deodorant first and then thy antiperspirant shall never falter." (good thing too, because I'm not a fan of sharing armpit residue with anyone, even if it is a prophet. Nasty...) Nor do I feel as though I am about to pull the lid off and use the deodorant for the last time and then perish in mortal agony.

But, the deodorant keeps going and I'm saving a few bucks by not having to buy more. And so that's what I'm grateful for tonight. Deodorant that wastes not nor fails me. It's a good thing.