1 Kings 8

1 Ki 8:18-19
"But the LORD said to my father David, 'Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well that it was in your heart.
'Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My name.'

Sometimes, we may have great plans for God. Since these plans only serve to magnify His great name, we become confident that God will surely give us the thumbs-up. However, we must remember that sometimes God has even better plans that we may not be able to see at that point in time. We have to trust in His guidance, like how Elijah was willingly guided by God to Brook Cherith and Zarephath.

Instead of going to Ahab straightaway, it was God's will for Elijah to first receive training. Though this was not made known explicitly to Elijah, he was able to fully submit to God's directions no matter how absurd it must have seemed to him.

A man's heart plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps.
Proverbs 16:9

Therefore, no matter how much we feel that our plans for God must be pleasing to God, we must still first seek after His will. It is nevertheless good that we have such hearts to please Him.

1Ki 8:59
"And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the LORD, be near the LORD our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day may require,

"As each day may require." Interesting phrase to me. Something that was dawned upon me lately too. God's provision and grace comes "as each day may require." And as I had shared during one bible study, sometimes God's grace seemed 'barely enough'. I read a commentary somewhere about the widow in 1 Kings 17. Have we ever thought about how the flour in the bin and the oil in the jar was never used up? Did the flour and oil increase greatly on the first day? Or perhaps the increase was only gradual and minimal each day, just enough for every day's food?

It was a very thought-provoking point. And I will go with the latter scenario. To the widow, it must have seemed like what God had promised to bless was 'barely enough' each time she went to the flour and oil. But yet, amazingly, days passed and they are still living well. Similarly, God's provision for us today may seem 'barely enough' but it is enough to last us through our days. (: Because man tend to see into the future and think "How can this be enough to last me for XXX years?", therefore they would feel that God is not providing for their needs. But who can see further than our God? He surely knows better than us! And surely, compared to Him, we are considered short-sighted.

Therefore, God's provision and grace comes to us as each day requires, and we need to trust that this is enough. Don't look at the 'barely filled' bin and jar and then look beyond the day and start murmuring that tomorrow you will not have enough. What is in the bin and jar is enough for today. The Bible says, "do not worry about tomorrow", for Manna will be rained down tomorrow again, feeding and nourishing us as we need, day by day.

Through this 'barely enough' provision, God is trying to teach us how to rely on Him and to stay close to Him, day by day.