Handful of Flour

“The bowl of flour was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty….”

1 Kings 17:16(AMP)

God has this seemingly unorthodox way of answering my prayers when I pray for provision. When I ask God to give me something, His answers rarely have anything to do with me at all.

Rather, they are about taking the little bit I do have, and giving it away to someone else. As if my barely enough wasn’t already a concern- He asks me to give it away! Really you guys, just about every single time.

The first few times He instructed me to do this, I was nervous. It took all the faith in my reserve to obey His direction. I remember when I was getting married, I needed money for a house, a wedding, and a honeymoon. I had been saving up, but it wasn’t even close to enough. I prayed and prayed and prayed, and you know what God had the audacity to tell me to do about it?

He told me to give IT ALL to Him. Can I be honest? I cried. I cried because I knew I was going to obey but I was so immensely shaken. It didn’t make any sense. I was coming to God asking for more and He wanted me to give it all away??

But I am so joyous to say that I obeyed. With shaking hands and weak knees, I gave it all. You know what MY God did? He not only provided all the money I needed but we had EXTRA to start a comfortable savings account and put some TLC into the new house.

This was just one of the many times God has told to me to give when I’m in need. I’m at the point now where I don’t even ask God to give me provision anymore. Now, I ask God who He wants me to bless in this season to make room for Him to pour out His blessings on me.

In 1 Kings 17, Elijah is instructed by God to go to a widow for food while there was famine in the land. Initially, when I read this I thought God must be sending Elijah to a rich widow. A widow that has stored up supplies before the famine. A widow that has an over abundance.

The further I read, I realized that was not at all who God had sent Elijah to.

“But she said, ‘As the Lord your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar. See, I am gathering a few sticks so that I may go in and bake it for me and my son, that we may eat it [as our last meal] and die.” 1 Kings 17:12(AMP)

The widow God sends Elijah to has nothing. Not even enough for her own son. Her plan was to eat her last meal and die.

Elijah tells the widow that if she will make him bread first, that God will provide further for her and her son. The widow obeys. I’m sure with shaking hands and weak knees.

Then the Lord did what He always does when we obey- He poured out HIS provision and blessing. The oil and flour didn’t run out until the famine in the land was over.

Her handful of flour wasn’t enough. That is, until she placed it in God’s hands. His handful of blessings will always overflow, cascade, and bubble over our lack.

God asked her to give her “not enough” in order to make room for his “more than enough”.

In a previous post, (click HERE to read it), I quoted Philippians 4:19.

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

HIS riches have nothing to do with YOUR income. But they have a whole lot to do with your obedience. His riches are always in abundance, regardless of famine, regardless of tragedy, regardless of job titles. God said He would supply my needs.

When God is asking me to hand over the little bit I do have in my own capacity , He is simply wanting to make room for His capability .

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God wants to bless you more than your own means. God wants to provide for you outside of what you’re qualified for. God wants to give you HIS riches, so don’t be afraid to let go of yours.

He is so faithful to come through on His end of this principle. Every time He has asked me to give, He has handed me back more than I ever asked for.

God is good. He is faithful. He wants to bless you. If you have been waiting on His riches for a while now, make sure you have made room in your life for His riches by not holding on too tightly to your own.

When God is saying, “You be about my business, and I’ll be about yours”, I encourage you to listen. He is better at our business than we are. He is a big God.

Give freely in the areas God has laid on your heart to give, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Your handful of flour will never be enough until you hand it over to the God of more than enough.

Be Blessed!