Me First!
Today’s Verse:
And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. ~1 Kings 17:13
I remember as a child that whenever we were told to line up for recess or to be called on by the teacher, many of us would cry out, “Me first!” We wanted to be recognized as the first to be selected, to be in line, or to be recognized. Most people don’t like being other than first. Even more so, God wants to be first in our life, our decisions, our choices, and our desires.
We see the earthly concerns.
“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.” This woman was anxious about how she would make ends meet. She had a “have not” mindset. A “have not” mindset looks at the circumstances instead of having faith in God. A “have not” mindset assumes that God is not able to take care of us. Earthly concerns and shortcomings result in us assuming that since God cannot take care of us, we must take care of ourselves.
We see the earnest command.
“And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me.” First, have courage and do not be overcome with fear about your circumstances. God is greater than your setbacks and limitations. Second, prioritize that you will put God first. Elijah told the widow to make him a little cake first and to bring it to him. Put God first in all your practices. You should tithe even if your budget is tight. You should read your Bible and pray even if you are under time constraints. You should be in church on the Lord’s Day regardless of whatever else is going on.
We see the essential categorization.
“And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.” There is an order to how God blesses. We must put God first and then take care of our need. This requires faith in God. It requires our obedience. God says, “Me first, then you.” When we follow the prescribed order, God never fails us. We will always have enough and even more than enough. We must have faith, but we must also put God first.
We see the ensured commitment.
“And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.” God promised the widow that for the duration of time that Elijah would stay with her, the barrel of meal and the little cruse of oil would not waste or fail. God commits to taking care of us. Paul said, “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (emphasis added).
We see the eternal contract.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). God has given us an eternal contract that when we put His kingdom and righteousness first in our lives, He will take care of all the things we have need of in His time. His contract is the eternal cure-all from earthly anxieties and cares. Putting God first is the proper order for making sure our barrel of meal and cruse of oil do not waste or fail. Can you hear God telling you, “Me first”?
Have a prioritized God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Exodus 28-29