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.

But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son” (1 Kings 17:13 NLT)

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.

Want to take notes on the widow of Zarephath story and discover more about God’s endless supply in our own lives? Become a subscriber, and I’ll send you a unique graphic organizer I created to use when studying the lives of women in the Bible.

I pray it blesses you and draws you closer to our Lord.

I’ve always been the kind of person who can’t relax until the to-do list is complete. And something that’s been left incomplete for weeks or even months, like overgrown flower beds or an appliance that keeps making that funny noise? Just walking by it sends my heart racing. I feel like it needs my attention now. Not tomorrow, not next week, right now. I don’t want to wait to have the satisfaction of getting it done.

Why Does God Want Me to Wait?

I used to be oblivious to the benefits of waiting. I felt like waiting meant doing nothing, not taking any action. It never seemed like a good thing.

Waiting for ten days for the doctor to call with test results.

Waiting for an editor to call me back with an acceptance or rejection.

Waiting for that wayward loved one to text.

Waiting always brought a whole load of negative thoughts, and if I could avoid it, I would. Until I read Rahab’s waiting story and learned there’s power in times of waiting.

Rahab’s Example of Waiting Well

From the time Rahab hid the Israelite spies from the king’s men in Joshua chapter 2 until the time of her rescue, Rahab had a lot of waiting to do. The spies only gave her two conditions to the deal she made with them: One, she must tie the red rope to her window and leave it there. Two, she and her family had to stay inside the house.

The spies gave her no indication of how long it would take for them to return. All she could do was wait.

It’s hard to stay put and wait! Yet so often that’s exactly what God calls us to do. He has the plan worked out, and our interference can delay its fulfillment. I think about Rahab tying the cord to the window and leaving it there, indicating her trust in God to take care of her and her family. I also wonder if I’d have the same resolve in that situation. Or would I lose my patience and take matters into my own hands?

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.” (Psalm 130:5 ESV)

This beautiful verse shows us that there’s power in waiting. Waiting for the Lord isn’t the absence of activity, it’s hoping in the One who never fails us. It’s taking action, even when that action is to be still. Like Rahab, adding action to our faith demonstrates our trust in God to provide.

How to Wait Well

Waiting well shows I’m actively trusting God when I feel like I need to do something. And from Rahab’s demonstration of obedience through waiting, I’ve discovered the benefits of waiting well. Hope, trust, belief. Those things grow in us as we linger a bit and soak in all God wants to teach us in the wait.

After her time of waiting, God made good on His promise to Rahab. Joshua chapter 6 tells of Rahab and her family’s rescue from the rubble after the Jericho walls fell. From her time of waiting, we find inspiration for God’s promises to be fulfilled in our own lives, too. Inspiration to help us wait well when we’re tempted to get impatient and help God in our own strength.

Hope for Times of Waiting

Are you in a time of waiting right now? Then take heart; waiting may be your best next step. I pray you discover peace and power as you actively wait on God to work in your situation. Remember, taking action doesn’t always mean you have to do something. It may mean simply trusting God for the answer in His timing.

If you’d like to learn more about Rahab’s waiting timeline, I take an in-depth look at the details of her story in Cinched: Living with Unwavering Trust in an Unfailing God.

One reader said this in her review of Cinched:

“Kristine writes like she is sitting down with you face-to-face. Her book spoke to my heart. If you desire to grow in trusting God more, then I highly recommend reading this book.” - Patricia

Reviews like Patricia’s touch my heart deeply. They are such a blessing to other readers who are looking for a book to help build their faith. If you’ve read it, would you consider leaving a review, too? And if you haven’t picked it up yet, there’s no time like the present to learn more about a bold woman of faith while moving to a new level of trust in God.