16 October | Youth
«It is more blessed to give than to receive.» Acts 20:35
If you only had a package of instant noodles in your pantry and a stranger showed up at your door asking for food, what would you do? Would you prepare him your only meal, or would you say that you have “nothing”? Difficult, is it not? People in a much more comfortable situation, tend to respond to beggars: “Go away, I have nothing here!” The Bible tells a similar story, but with a happy ending.
In the time when Jezebel and Ahab led Israel, a great drought devastated the entire kingdom, a result of the spiritual chaos in which the nation found itself. Since there was no rain on the land, God ordered Elijah to spend time by the brook of Cherith. There, ravens fed the prophet with bread and meat. After the brook dried up, God ordered Elijah to go to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, because a widow would feed him there.
Wait a minute! Doesn't that sound strange to you? One of the Bible's greatest prophets being fed by ravens and then by a widow? Where were the banquets and fountains in the desert? Indeed, following God involves traveling at the extremes of reason and faith. The situation became even more complicated when the prophet learned that the woman only had a handful of flour, some olive oil, and a child to care for.
Incredible as it may seem, that Phoenician woman accepted the challenge and donated everything she had to the unknown prophet. Few people in the Bible exercised such faith. Her hospitality and liberality were rewarded by God, as He multiplied her flour and oil for many days. The widow discovered, in practice, that God's pantry is never empty.
Are you a generous person? Do you usually help those in need? According to today's text, this is the true recipe for happiness. God did not create us as reservoirs of blessings, but as channels of His grace. You can be the miracle in someone's life! Share love, food and hope! You will certainly be the biggest beneficiary. An ancient Chinese proverb says: “A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses.” When helping these “little ones,” know that you will be helping Jesus himself (Matt 25:40).