The Abundant Empty Cupboard

    "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you."

Matthew 6:26 & 33

   Growing up, there were times of plenty at our kitchen table; times when we ate salad and cheesecake, and had garlic bread with our spaghetti. But, our cupboard also experienced some slim times. There were times that I would look in the refrigerator and the pantry and wonder how on earth mom and I were going to make a meal for our family of eight. There were other times when mom would be in the middle of making a meal, knowing we had just enough to feed our family and no more, and neighbors would show up unannounced. Those times were lessons in faith that I learned in the kitchen. They were moments when Bible stories were real life.

In the Bible, there was a widow who had an empty cupboard when a prophet came to visit. She only had enough oil to make herself and her son one last meal before they would just have to starve to death. She could have just not shared with the prophet, but she had the faith to share. From that day forward, her oil jars were never empty. Another time, Jesus needed food to feed a group of 5,000 people. A little boy only had a few biscuits and a couple fish, but he figured that Jesus could use it. He gave it to Jesus. Jesus fed the whole crowd with that little meal, and there were even leftovers!

Those stories were often real in our own kitchen. When neighbors showed up unannounced at meal times, we could have just not offered them a plate. When we looked in the cabinets and saw nothing to cook, we could have shut the pantry doors and gone hungry, If we did that though, we never would have seen the abundance God can create with an empty cupboard and some faith.

So, even when the pantry was bare, we cooked. We didn’t have a plan or a recipe, just faith and elbow grease. Mom would start tossing whatever she could find into a pot, skillet, or a casserole dish and cook it. Ingredients came from nowhere, and nothing became something. It wouldn't look like anything, and usually, it only looked like just enough for us...until we set the table.

When we set the table, there was always enough. There were often even leftovers!  No matter how many extra plates we had to set, everyone ate. How the chicken nuggets didn't disappear, how there was another bowl of soup at the bottom of the pot, or another piece of fish to fry; only God knows. All we know is that God provided.

There will be times when the pantry of your life seem bare, but remember this: You are more valuable than the sparrows, and the same God who feeds them, cares for you. When look to please Him first, and stir the pot in faith, he can make an abundant empty cupboard.