Flaming maple?

Of hope and biscuits...

I couldn't help thinking of the packet of hope... I tried not to, but couldn't. There was something missing, I reasoned, that made me keep wondering about packets of hope, and having relied upon biscuits for lunch on saturday and sunday didn't help either. Maybe, we really do start thinking on a partially empty stomach... or is it partially full?? I'm no pessimist, even if my words do suggest otherwise, but hunger does change perceptions, doesn't it?

Anyway, back to our very own packet of hope, you might remember that in scapegoat, we looked at a person who'd finished his packet of biscuits, sorry, hope... and was in the process of throwing it away when the Lord miraculously showed him a small piece he could nibble upon. I was thinking about this yesterday in church, when the Lord reminded me of Elijah and the widow in Zarephath. Now, some of you may not have the first idea of what I'm talking about so I'll explain.

>> Imagine living in one of the most powerful kingdoms of old. Imagine also, that the former splendour is lost, and the current king is little more than a puppet - not unlike the king you see in "Lord of the rings - the two towers" who's only a puppet for the wizard, except that in this case, the wizard is the king's wife, and she's up to no good.

Now you, my brother, are God's spokesman to the nation, and thus to the king. You know that God's servants don't do very well at this time (a typical understatement), but still you, full of faith and courage that only God can equip you with, go to the king and proclaim a drought(no rain) for an indefenite period; and then, you flee for your life.

No. Don't be ashamed. God's already given you your flight schedule. "Hide by the brook Kidron and I've commanded ravens to feed you." How miraculous. Except that the drought you proclaimed is for real, and soon, your brook dries up also, and with it, your packet of hope. Now what do you do?

It is then that God shows you that little piece of hope to nibble upon. Elijah is asked to go to a widow at Zarephath who would take care of your needs. Talk about hope to nibble upon. You barely have something there and the sight you see at Zarephath surprises you so much so swallow... and pop goes the weasel... I mean, you swallowed that little piece of hope you'd been nibbling. This old widow has no money, no food - technically speaking, she's got nothing, only her little piece of hope she's kept nibbling - a little flour and a little oil in a jar... with which, she'll make one last meal and then die. Isn't that your thought today? Your packet of hope is empty, and now, you've swallowed that little piece of hope God showed you, and you're back to having nothing again?And the only thing you can think of isn't exactly pretty, is it???

God doesn't think in the same way. Now is the most trying of circumstances, and you've got to excercise your faith. You know that old widow has squat with her, and yet, you ask her to make a little something of whatever she has(remember it is only 2 mites, and for all you know, you can only buy bugs with it) but then, God wanted you to take that step of faith... and voila... the cup runneth over!

There's something about the way God leads you. It is unique. It's tailor-made. And while you wouldn't know the first thing about God's fashion, you better understand that it fits you perfectly, and no British tailor could make a better one; And that's because, God knows your specifications. He created you. Oh, and He gave you that packet of hope, knowing exactly when you'll run out of it.

Sometimes, we run out of our packet of hope sooner that we expected. Sometimes, we swallow that last bit of hope in surprise. And as it goes down our throats, so does our spirit. So does our faith. After all, without hope, there is no faith. But then, we forget; The Man upstairs who created you is also a master con-man. He, and not we, can make something out of nothing. Now, that nothing could be so many things. That nothing could even be you and me. It can be food, it can even be 5 loaves and 2 fish infront of five thousand people. Your job and mine is to rather look for that little bit of hope. God can give you that bit of hope... but He wants you to use it. He wants you to nibble on it. How do you think 5 loaves and 2 fish fed 5000 people? A little boy, who quite possibly had no idea what he was doing, gave his lunch to Jesus. That teaches us something, doesn't it? No questions. Just trust Him like a child. Face it. He does know more than you do, more than you'll ever do.

Oh, and I suddenly remembered. My little cousin literally lives on biscuits. And he doesn't fear when his packet fo bicuits is over. He simply asks for a new one... and gets it. He asks politely, not so politely, brings mommy's purse to her, cries, screams, or even does his homework, which in all probability involves writing a couple of pages of 'Cursive writing'... but he gets it. And the joy on his face when he gets a new packet? ...I'm off to get mine, and I think I know how to get it? You don't????? Go figure... or better yet, ask my little cousin. He'll show you something more... remember open, lick, eat?

posted by Finney @ 12:29 AM