1Kings 17:12-14: 12 “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”
13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”
A poor family in 1946 was so moved by their pastor’s request, that they raised money for another family who was in dire need. They took odd jobs, went without, scrimped and saved, and then presented their money to the church, which totaled $60, a large amount for them. The pastor soon told them they were the family in need and had raised most of their own donation. 2500 years earlier, a nameless widow, gave her last meal to the prophet Elijah. She stated the facts: This is our last meal and then my son and I will die. Amazingly, she didn’t hold back. Since she was obedient, God sustained her through the famine. She is recorded for all of history as an example of sacrificial giving.
Let your heartbeat match God’s as you see a need. Giving with a cheerful heart at God’s prompting will bless the need, and you, in the process.