Anxious posts filled my newsfeed from young moms in search of infant formula. Empty store shelves replaced the once-stocked products. I could feel the desperation in their hearts as they reached out asking loved ones to keep an eye open for what their babies needed.
Words like “product unavailable” and “out of stock” only adding to their discouragement. How do we know God will supply when all we see is emptiness?
We’ve all known times when something we need gets stripped away and we suddenly don’t know what to do. We look ahead and agonize over where provision will come from and when the answer will arrive. Desperation, panic, and frustration fill our hearts so full that we have no room left.
We question whether there’s enough in reserve to make it till next year, next month, or maybe even next week. And if we’re honest, we’re also questioning why God doesn’t restock the shelves already.
God’s Plan for Provision
Panic and uncertainty can shake our faith. Yet it’s in those desperate times God gives us the opportunity to grow in that faith. Without our empty-shelf moments, we wouldn’t see God’s great plan for providing in every area of our lives.
Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (ESV)
I for one have gotten carried away with this verse before. I quote it with such enthusiasm that I forget one important detail. God meets every need, but he doesn’t meet them all at once.
Just ask the widow of Zarephath.
The Widow of Zarephath in the Bible
Gathering sticks near the town gate, the widow’s thoughts fixated on her predicament. We know her only by where she lived— Zarephath. Not by her name. Her circumstances had progressed from bad to worse.
If there was ever a time to entertain strangers, this was not it. Yet, a man approached her before she could avoid eye-contact and rush off in the opposite direction. She had more pressing worries than to get sidetracked by someone she didn’t even know.
“Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?” As she was going to get it, he called to her, “Bring me a bite of bread, too.” (1 Kings 17:10b-11 NLT) Only, she didn’t have enough to bring him a bite of bread.
“I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.” (1 Kings 17:12 NLT)
She couldn’t deal with this right now. Two and a half years of drought and she’d done the best she could. Her ability to provide quickly fading, along with the hope of any future for her boy.
Then in the very next verse, Elijah tells us everything we need to know about trusting God for provision, “For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’”
God gave her exactly what she needed for the moment. When that was gone, he filled her jar again for the next.
What the Bible Says About Being Filled
The widow’s story is so profound; I don’t want us to pass through and miss this vital truth. She looked ahead and thought about her future. At first, she made assumptions based on the one measly serving left in her jar. But then, she decided to trust God with it.
God wants us to flip the script on how we view that one serving.
Instead of seeing a bleak future based on our current circumstances, let’s ask God for what we need right now. Nothing more. As we believe him to fill us for what’s next, our faith will grow.
I love how the Amplified Version puts Philippians 4:19, “And my God will liberally supply (fill until full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Fill until full. Yes, Lord.
The widow of Zarephath only had enough left for one meal, but she obeyed Elijah’s words and made one serving for him first. Then after her step of faith, God supplied enough for her and her son. The next day, he provided again. And the next. And the next.
“The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.” (1 Kings 17:16 ESV)
In the deep empty places where hopelessness thrives, we can give in to the lie that God doesn’t have enough left for what we need. Will we trust God when only one serving remains at the bottom of the jar?
I’ve heard it said that God does amazing things with empty vessels. I believe that’s true, no matter what the need is. Let’s take our emptiness to him today and trust our faithful God to provide.
A guided prayer for asking God to fill our emptiness.
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