You see, the widow woman's focus was on what she did NOT have. Let's take a moment and see what she DID have; "an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse..." (1 Kings 17:11)
The words translated as handful, melo kaph in Hebrew, mean "fullness hand." We know that the "hand" speaks of the five-fold ministry, and also that five is the number of grace. Just like the widow woman, YOU have a "fullness hand!" Christ the apostle, Christ the prophet, Christ the evangelist, Christ the pastor, Christ the teacher is living IN and living THROUGH you! His GRACE is flowing through you also, and His grace is the power to bring to completion all that He started.
Like the widow woman, you have "an handful of meal in a barrel." Meal is flour or wheat, and in Biblical symbolism, wheat speaks of the Christ-Life. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." (John 12:24) Of course we know that Jesus Christ fell into the ground and died, that He might bring forth much fruit. The word translated as barrel, kad in Hebrew, means "to deepen; generally of earthenware; a jar for domestic purposes." What a picture of US, as we read in 2 Corinthians 4:7, "But we have this treasure (CHRIST!) in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." (my emphasis in parenthesis). The Christ-Life is to be found in those "earthen vessels," those individuals who respond to the "Deep" of Father calling to the "deep" within them, resonating His Voice.
Full Hand of Grace
When we put all these definitions together, here is the result- She had a FULL HAND of the GRACE of the Christ-Life deep within, that has the power to bring to completion the purposes of God!
Even though her focus was on what she did NOT have, she actually DID have much more than she thought! Friend, you possess much more than you think you do! You have a FULL HAND of the GRACE of the Christ-Life deep within, that has the power to bring to completion the purposes of God!
This widow woman also had "a little oil in a cruse..." (1 Kings 17:11) Of course, oil speaks of the ANOINTING of Christ. The word translated as cruse, tsappachath in Hebrew, means "to expand." The ANOINTING of Christ EXPANDS to meet every situation. Also, the best way to get oil to expand is to apply heat! Just like the widow woman, YOU have "a little oil in a cruse..." and the anointing of Christ in you EXPANDS to meet every situation... especially when you encounter heat! You have much more than you think you have!
"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) Elijah is introducing this widow woman to a tremendous Kingdom principle when he says, Make me thereof a little cake first. Jesus said it this way; "Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:31-33)
Most people are like the widow woman, we want our vessel to be full BEFORE we begin to pour. Whether it is spiritual, financial, emotional, etc., we seem to expect Father to have given us all the supply ahead of time. Only then are we willing to take a "step of faith"... which is really no faith at all. It simply doesn't work like that in the Kingdom. It is my experience that most of the time we only get the first step, or the first word to begin with... then more comes as we exercise that first thing we have been given. As we pour OUT, more is poured IN. We are really to be more of a conduit or channel, than a holding tank.
When I was ministering in Ireland recently, I experienced something new to me in the shower (I know, that's not a particularly good mental picture! haha!) In the United States we have hot water tanks where water is heated and stored, so when you turn on the hot water faucet, you get hot water. I still have teenagers living at home, so occasionally when I get in the shower expecting hot water, I get a big cold surprise because the tank has been emptied out on the last incredibly long shower. My Irish shower did not have a tank, rather it had a device that heated the water as it went through the pipe... the result being endless hot water. I believe that this is how Father desires to work in our lives. Rather than a "tank" that can be emptied, I believe He wants to provide the "supply" when we open the faucet! Friend, it is time to OPEN the "Faucet" to Father's endless supply of everything spiritual, financial, emotional, etc.
"For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house (her whole HOUSE!), did eat many days. 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." (1 Kings 17:14-16) Keep in mind that in that day and culture extended families lived together. Her whole family, no telling how many, was sustained for many days. I absolutely love this spiritual picture.
Change Your Mentality
This widow woman had to change her mentality! She had to stop looking at the circumstances, stop focusing on what she did not have. She had to ACCESS that which she ALREADY HAD in order for it to EXPAND!
I believe that WE, the church must shift from a "widow woman" mentality to a TISHBITE mentality! Remember, the word Tishbite means "recourse" and recourse is defined as "the right to ACCESS payment from the maker or endorser of a negotiable instrument (as a check)." We must stop looking at the circumstances, stop focusing on what we do not have. We must ACCESS that which we ALREADY HAVE in order for it to EXPAND!
I believe that the greatest "thing" we already have is the ABIDING anointing; "But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you received from Him ABIDES [permanently] in you... so you must abide in (live in, never depart from) Him [being rooted in Him, knit to Him], just as [His anointing] has taught you [to do]." (1 John 2:27 Amplified Bible) And the ABIDING anointing is really not a "thing" at all, but rather the Person of Christ. So many Christians believe that the "anointing" comes and goes, depending on how they feel. Friend, the "anointing" is not a rush of endorphins, a goose bump, a heart palpitation, or the hair on the back of your neck standing up! The Anointing is the ever abiding Person of Christ Himself, and here is what He said about it; "...for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5)
Why is it that some of us feel like we have to have a vision, two prophecies, and an ecstatic spiritual third heaven trance before we are ready to "step out in faith" and do something? "...be instant in season, OUT of season." (2 Timothy 4:2) Your greatest ministry moment might be OUT of season! The widow woman was definitely "out of season." She was ready to eat her last meal and die! Apparently she wasn't "all prayed up" with her faith level at an all time high. I doubt she had any positive Scripture verses on her refrigerator either. However, right there in the middle of her despair, one little act of obedience released a tremendous miracle.
It is time that WE the church shift from a "widow woman" mentality, married to a dead carnal identity, to a TISHBITE mentality as we ACCESS that which we ALREADY HAVE and see it EXPAND! As we pour OUT, more is poured IN, making us a conduit or channel of the abiding Anointing, the Person of Christ! Rise up, Tishbites...ACCESS your destiny!
Doug Fortune
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