And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. —1 Kings 17:12
Now if the widow had eaten the last of her seed, she and her son certainly would have died. But she had another option. She could sow her seed instead of eating it. She could make a loaf of bread for the man of God, Elijah, and then see the promised harvest from God. Her obedience to God’s command through Elijah brought her perpetual and promised harvest.
When Elijah asked her for a cake, at first the poor widow claimed that she didn’t have it. But God never asks you for what you don’t have; He only asks you for what you want to keep for yourself. Remember, if what is in your hand is not big enough to be your harvest, then count on it being your seed. Elijah rebuked the fear in the woman and told her to give what she had. In return, God supplied what she needed—a promised harvest of ever-increasing grain and oil.
You may have nothing left but the seed you need to sow. But until you sow, you will never experience a harvest. Sow as God commands you to sow and you will experience His future instead of your famine.
Lord, teach me when, what, and how to sow so that my
future will be filled with Your harvest and not
with my famine. Amen.
Curt Landry 
Michael L. Brown 
Rabbi Eric Tokajer 
