Sunday morning, I spoke about the miracle of Elijah and the widow's barrel.  I'm sure you know the story, but if not, you can read all about it in I Kings 17.  I was almost afraid to teach the lesson.  After all, everything I teach on something like this, I'm tested on it the next week.  Well, this week is no different.

Yes, on Sunday morning I spoke about how much God can do with an empty barrel.  I expounded on the fact that no matter how much of the flour and oil was used, there was always enough for one more meal, then one more, then one more, and well, you get the point.  I talked about God's miraculous provision for Elijah with the ravens and then again with this destitute woman who was literally preparing her last meal.  It was a good lesson, and to be honest, I learned a lot from it.  It's a good thing!

As of this morning, Jason had a total of seven and a half hours of work for the week.  May I remind you that he's paid by the hour?  May I also mention that there was only enough work for thirty hours last week?  Oh, and did I tell you that the mortgage is due. . . and the cell phone bill?  As I taught the lesson on Sunday, I thought I knew what it was like to have an empty barrel.  Today I'm thinking, "Wow, and I thought it was empty at the beginning of the week!"  And with those thoughts, my old faithful foe rears his ugly head and whines, "What are you going to do now?"

Good question.  I could worry about how I'm going to pay my upcoming bills and whether or not this slump in Jason's business is permanent or a mere fluke.  I could accuse God of not taking care of me as He promised He would do.  I could pitch a fit, drown my anxiety in chocolate or cry myself to sleep.  Or, I could trust that God has me right where He wants me.  I could look at the ways He's provided extra income the past couple of weeks despite Jason's lagging work schedule.  I could choose to have faith that someway, somehow God will see us through, just as He's always done.

I've made my choice.  What about you?  How will you react to your empty barrel?  Whether you're short on funds, strength, hope or options, God is faithful to provide for His children.  He only asks that we trust Him.