Buzzards of Blessings

If you’ve ever taken a test to get a job or into college you know all about the crazy buzzards (not butterflies) which fly around in your stomach as you await the graded results to be posted.  Maybe you’re trying out for a drama team, will you get the lead role?  Your future depends on your performance right now!   

Consider, if you will, the widow of Zarephath: a great Bible story that is taught in every Sunday school class somewhere in time.  We all know how it goes:  Elijah asks the widow for water and a morsel, to which she replies that she is about to make a fire and feed herself and her son, then they were going to die.  What she didn’t count on was that the Lord had already told Elijah about her before he ever got to her house.  He had a plan…IF ONLY SHE PASSED THE TEST!

The Lord was even so kind as to speak through Elijah words of hope for her future: “for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.”  Seems like a no-brainer to make Elijah a little cake first, huh?  Let me ask us a question though:  with all the promises in God’s Word, and these promises are STILL to us today, don’t we find it hard to take Him at His Word at times?  I’ll admit, sometimes it’s easier said than done! 

The beautiful part of the story is that this dear widow DID pass the test; but, not only that, the Bible says:

“…and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.”  I Kings 17:15

Let me ask this question: Who was “her house”?   The verses only imply that there was her and a son.  Could it be…because of this miracle God had performed that she went about excitedly testifying of the goodness of the Lord?  I can only imagine, during this drought, that her home began to be filled with people consistently…come not only to SEE the proof but to TASTE AND SEE.  Everyone who came through her house was fed.  She had passed the test and God had provided enough for her and all those she came in contact with.

You see, that’s just like the Lord.  He lets us go through in hopes that we’ll stick it out and see more than just miracles for ourselves…but that we will allow it to bring Him glory as we share the goodness of the Lord with others.  Every valley and every mountain top experience can be shared with someone else.  When those buzzards are put to ease and we’re on the other side of the test, we can help someone else study to pass it too.  See, buzzards CAN be a good thing!  

Dear Lord, help me today to realize what you’re doing in my life is not just about me, it’s about what you’re doing through me during this test that will bring you glory in the future.  It IS true…my future depends upon my response to your leading, guiding and testing TODAY.

Help me to respond accordingly!