This past Sunday, as we celebrated Mother's Day I preached from the scripture 1 Kings 17 and the widow women who had faith, trusted that God would provide and gave up her last meal to Elijah only to have his prophet come true - that her oil and flour wouldn't run out for the length of the famine. As it was mothers day, I emphasized the trusting that God will provide for us and that like a mother how puts her children first, we should put God first in our lives so that we may be shown the miracle of grace.
After church several of you shared times when you put God first and truly God did provide. Such power in all your stories prove what an amazing God we do have.
During reflecting on this, I couldn't help but see the connection between the last "supper" this women was making for her and her son and Jesus' last meal with his disciples and today our shared communion. Putting her faith in God and that God would provide, the widow didn't face her last meal or her death. Because of Jesus, we will one day overcome death. The last meal he shared with his disciples on the night of his arrest wasn't really the last meal he would share with them or with anyone - in fact it is within this special time that we take to remember and open ourselves to Jesus that Jesus is revealed to us and continues to be a real presence at theses meals today. What a powerful thought: when we accept Jesus and believe / have faith we never face our last meal, God always has something in store for us. Even in our darkest moments - in the face of death and despair if we choose to trust and put God first, God will provide.
Between Easter and Pentecost - 50 days - I asked that each of you wrote down and kept track of 50 things we are grateful for - 50 thanksgivings and praises. They could be detailed, they could be just words, they could be pictures or lists, however you want. This is to reminded us of all that we have and in a real and visible way show us how God does continue to provide for us in our lives. The first step to putting God first is trusting and often to trust we need proof, so here are 50 proofs that God provides for us in our lives. I hope that you are working on them so that you can bring them to worship on Sunday.
