Suffering: Hunger, Like The Widow at Zarephath
O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.
When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.
Psalm 63:1-8 (NKJV)
The widow of Zarephath and her son were close to death when they met Elijah. As outsiders suffering from famine, they prepared to eat their last meager meal.
But her remarkable unselfishness set them up to receive a miracle. They believed in the God of Elijah, and they never suffered hunger again.*
Few Americans have known real hunger. For most, we're a nation of abundance. Food surrounds us, everywhere, all the time. Praise God for our history as givers.
And yet…
Over 700 million people around the world still go to bed hungry.* God says we can and SHOULD assist the poor:
‘Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor’ (Proverbs 22:9).
‘Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed’ (Proverbs 19:17). And yet…
'Whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me' (Mark 14:7).
Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
I see and praise your generosity, as you tend another kind of hunger. It’s an emptiness in the hearts of men:
A hunger for hope, love, truth, joy, and peace.
A void seeking purpose and fulfillment.
To this desperate longing, you are sent.
SIDEBAR: History confirms that all dominant and self-indulgent civilizations lose their dominance and come to nothing.
Tied up in overt materialism, a culture feasting on entertainment now suffers spiritual starvation. You enter media as its “Peace Corps,” distributing the Bread of Life freely.
With smiling eyes and compelling talent. You sow, and you show Good News to millions.***
Suffering: Hunger, Like The Widow at Zarephath (Part 7)
* Bible reference: Elijah and the Widow, 1 Kings 17:8-16 NKJV - Elijah and the Widow - Then the word of - Bible Gateway
* Excellent narrative in Bible Gateway: Widow of Zarephath, The Woman Who Shared Her Last Morsel, Widow of Zarephath - Lockyer's All the Women of the Bible
** Hunger numbers stubbornly high for three consecutive years as global crises deepen: UN report
*** 'The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law' (Galatians 5:22-23).
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God! We’re ALL called to be actors (action stars) for Jesus. We’re ALL called to models of Jesus, and we ALL have gifts, talents, and callings from God– to multiply them in the world for His glory.
P.S. NO DEVOTION, PREACHER, or SERMON… can begin to replace personal time in the Bible. I wholeheartedly and clear-headedly recommend READING THE BIBLE DAILY.
WARNING: Don’t focus on favorite verses, because out of context, they’re often misinterpreted. I plead with you to READ AT LEAST 1 BIBLE CHAPTER DAILY. How long does it take? An average of 5 to 10 minutes!