Prime the Pump or Drink the Water? Your Choice

"But she said, "As the Lord your God lives, I have no bread, only a had full of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar, and behold, I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die" (I Kings 17:12).

Hey Gang:  Take a moment and do some reminiscing with me.  Can you remember a story, or illustration that passed through your brain cells ,stuck and has even influenced your actions since running into the story or illustration?

Somewhere along life's path I ran into the story of the pilot who was shot down and crashed somewhere in the desert.  Although not injured in the crash, his life was definitely in peril.  He knew he was in deep trouble when he took the last drink from his canteen and it registered empty.  He knew he had about three days before dehydration would zap his body of sufficient liquids to keep him alive and he knew his time was running out very rapidly.

On the third day, as the sun began to set, he had resolved himself to the fact that he was probably not going to survive the night when he noticed a hut on top of a nearby hilltop.   Nearly totally exhausted, but yet very curious, he mustered up what strength was left in his body and climbed the hill to see what was in the hut.

Inside the hut was a water pump and a jar of water with a note attached to it.  It simply said, do not drink this water, pour it into the pump to prime the pump so that you can leave the jar full for the next sojourner who may pass this way.  Now, I ask you, what would you have done?

The Bible is filled with very powerful statements. I have found none more powerful than the many times Jesus said to those He healed, "Your faith has made you whole".  In I Kings 17 we find a similar story to the one mentioned above.    The widow had only enough food to make one more meal before she and her son would die of starvation. Along comes Elijah asking her to bake that final meal for him!  One might get the idea that Elijah was pretty selfish, but, we also know from our sojourns through God’s word, pre-requisites are often the determining factor to receiving God's blessing.

Elijah said "Don't fear, go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from what you have left  and bring it to me." (Vs. 13).  Notice her response knowing this could be her last meal as well as her sons.  "So, she went and did according to the word of Elijah"(Vs. 15).

Soooo, friends and neighbors, did you take a moment I suggested to think back to something, a story or illustration that has been a driving force in your lives?  There is a saying, "If you want the world to be a better place, then leave it better than you found it".     If your plane crashed in the desert, would you gamble with your life by priming the pump? Or would you gulp the water down and let the next guy fend for himself?

Blessings,

Gramps