See the faithfulness of divine love. You observe that this woman had daily necessities. She had herself and her son to feed in a time of famine; and now, in addition, the prophet Elijah was to be fed too. But though the need was threefold, yet the supply of meal wasted not, for she had a constant supply. Each day she made calls upon the barrel, but yet each day it remained the same.

You, dear reader, have daily necessities, and because they come so frequently, you are apt to fear that the barrel of meal will one day be empty, and the cruse of oil will fail you. Rest assured that, according to the Word of God, this shall not be the case. Each day, though it bring its trouble, shall bring its help; and though you should live to outnumber the years of Methuselah, and though your needs should be as many as the sands of the seashore, yet shall God's grace and mercy last through all your necessities, and you shall never know a real lack.

For three long years, in this widow's days, the heavens never saw a cloud, and the stars never wept a holy tear of dew upon the wicked earth: famine and desolation, and death, made the land a howling wilderness, but this woman never was hungry, but always joyful in abundance.

So shall it be with you. You shall see the sinner's hope perish, for he trusts his native strength; you shall see the proud Pharisee's confidence totter, for he builds his hope upon the sand; you shall see even your own schemes blasted and withered, but you yourself shall find that your place of defence shall be the munition of rocks: "Your bread shall be given you, and your water shall be sure".

Better have God for your Guardian, than the Bank of England for your possession. You might spend the wealth of the Indies, but the infinite riches of God you can never exhaust.

C.H. Spurgeon, Morning & Evening, 28/02

The thunders of the law and the terrors of judgment are all used to bring us to Messiah; but the final victory is effected by lovingkindness. The prodigal set out to his father's house from a sense of need; but his father saw him a great way off, and ran to meet him; so that the last steps he took towards his father's house were with the kiss still warm upon his cheek, and the welcome still musical in his ears.

Laws and terrors do but harden all the while they work alone;

But a sense of blood-bought pardon will dissolve a heart of stone.

The Master came one night to the door, and knocked with the iron hand of the law; the door shook and trembled upon its hinges; but the man piled every piece of furniture which he could find against the door, for he said, "I will not admit the man".

The Master turned away, but by-and-by He came back, and with His own soft hand, using most that part where the nail had penetrated, he knocked again - oh, so softly and tenderly. This time the door did not shake, but, strange to say, it opened, and there upon his knees the once unwilling host was found rejoicing to receive his guest.

'Come in, come in; you have so knocked that my spirit and soul are moved for you. I could not think of your pierced hand leaving its blood-mark on my door, and of you going away houseless, "Thy head filled with dew, and thy locks with the drops of the night". I yield, I yield, Your love has won my heart.'

So in every case lovingkindness wins the day. What Moses with the tablets of stone could never do, Messiah does with His pierced hand. Such is the doctrine of effectual calling. Do I understand it experimentally? Can I say, "He drew me and I followed on, glad to confess the voice divine?'

If so, may He continue to draw me, till at last I shall sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

C.H. Spurgeon, Morning & Evening, 29/02