The Courage to Give the Last Loaf

By: Pastor José Flávio Macieira — 2025

This reflection is part of the series "The Prophet of Word and Power," inspired by the themes from the book "The Desert Therapy."

God doesn't ask for what you don't have; He asks you to trust Him with the little you do have, so He can show you how great He is.

Have you ever looked at your bank account, your schedule, or your emotional energy and thought, "I'm at my limit. I have nothing left to give"? This feeling of scarcity is paralyzing. In times of crisis, our strongest instinct is self-preservation: protect the little we have left, clench our fists, secure our own needs. But what if God's solution to our scarcity is the exact opposite? The story of the widow of Zarephath invites us into a divine logic that challenges our every survival instinct.

“...‘As surely as the Lord your God lives,’ she replied, ‘I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a final meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.’ Elijah said to her, ‘Don’t be afraid... But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have... For this is what the Lord... says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry...’” (1 Kings 17:12-14 NIV)

Elijah arrives in Zarephath and finds the widow God had prepared. But he finds her at rock bottom. She didn't have a feast waiting for him; she had a death sentence. Her response to the request for bread is a portrait of absolute despair. It is at this moment of extreme need that God's prophet makes a request that sounds almost cruel: "first make one for me." He calls her to prioritize God's purpose above her most basic and urgent need. However, the radical request comes with an even more radical promise: God's supernatural and continuous provision.

Imagine a farmer in a time of famine, holding his last bag of seeds. Human logic screams, "Cook them! It's your last meal!". But the logic of faith, the logic of agriculture, whispers, "Plant them." The farmer knows he must give up what he holds in his hand—burying the precious seeds in the dark soil, an act of apparent loss—to receive the multiplied harvest in the future. The widow was called to plant her "last meal" in the fertile soil of God's promise. The act of giving the first loaf to Elijah was her act of sowing in faith.

Our culture operates under a "scarcity mindset." We are taught to accumulate, protect our assets, and secure our own future first. Financial advisors would tell us to "cut all non-essential spending" and never give what we don't have. The economy of God's Kingdom, however, often operates under an "abundance mindset" that is activated by sacrificial generosity. The widow, by giving, did not lose; she gained access to an inexhaustible source. The gospel presents a better narrative about security: true security is not in what we hoard, but in the faithfulness of the One in whose hands we sow.

Let's be honest: Elijah's request seems, at first glance, like an abuse of spiritual authority. It's uncomfortable. But the grace of God lies in the fact that the promise came before the demand for sacrifice. Elijah first says, "Don't be afraid," and then delivers the Lord's word of provision. God wasn't trying to take the widow's last meal; He was offering her the only way out of certain death. The invitation to "give first" was, in fact, an invitation to "live forever." Grace did not eliminate the test of faith, but it gave the widow a solid promise to stand on in order to pass the test.

Your Next Step of Faith

Identify an area in your life where you are operating with a "scarcity mindset" (time, money, energy, affection). This week, take a small step of "giving first." Donate 30 minutes of your time to listen to someone. Give a small, sacrificial offering before you pay your bills. Offer a compliment when you feel you need one the most. Do it as an act of faith, planting your seed in God's promise.

The Mirror of the Soul

1. When resources become scarce, is your natural tendency to hoard or to share?

2. How does the analogy of the "farmer planting the seed" change your view on giving to God when you feel you have little?

3. What is the "last loaf" that God might be asking you to entrust to Him today?

Prayer

Lord, God of abundant provision, forgive us when our faith grows small in the face of our apparent scarcity. Forgive our fear and our tendency to hoard instead of trusting You. Give us a heart like the widow of Zarephath—a heart that hears Your promise and acts in sacrificial obedience, even when human logic screams otherwise. Help us to plant in faith, knowing that You are faithful to multiply our seeds for Your glory. In Jesus' name, amen.

Sacrificial obedience with what is in our hand is the key that opens the storehouses of heaven.

Loved this reflection? It explores one of the crucial moments in the 40-day journey of the book "The Desert Therapy." For a full immersion, get your copy today! (hyperlink suggestion).