Faith and Obedience

I grew up from a family that is just earning enough to sustain its everyday needs. My mother is the solely bread winner of the family; she accepts made to order dresses, uniforms and if lucky enough, bridal entourage or designer's gowns. We are the typical, "isang kahig-isang tuka", but inspite of that, my mother values my education. She did everything just to make me into college and earn a degree.

As I look back on what my family had been through, I realized how God never failed to keep his promise. I remember how by chance that a relative gave a sum of money when we don't know how we will pay for my tuition fee; when suddenly a neighbor shares a food when we don't have any on our table. I remember that on these occasions, we always pray for God's blessings and indeed the answers came right away. There are times that his answer requires a form of action on our part. What we need is to obey and trust his will.

I remember a story from 1 Kings 17:10-16: In those days, Elijah the prophet went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the entrance of the city, a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her, “Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink.” She left to get it, and he called out after her, “Please bring along a bit of bread.” She answered, “As the Lord, your God, lives, I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar and a little oil in my jug. Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks, to go in and prepare something for myself and my son; when we have eaten it, we shall die.” Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid. Go and do as you propose. But first make me a little cake and bring it to me. Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son. For the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’ ” She left and did as Elijah had said. She was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well; The jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, as the Lord had foretold through Elijah.

“Faith is the step between promise and assurance.  Miracles seem so out of reach for our feeble faith.  But every miracle, large or small, begins with an act of obedience.  We may not see the solution until we take the first step of faith.”