go all in

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. (1 Kings 17:14)

Have you ever heard the poker term “going all in”? It’s when you take your chips and throw them all in during one hand. When you go all in, you know you have the chance to win it all—or to lose absolutely everything.

Today’s first reading has a similar “going all in” feel to it, but the stakes are much higher than a poker game. People here are gambling with their lives!

Even though God has kept the prophet Elijah hidden and protected him from Queen Jezebel’s death threats, God now tells him to go to a widow who lives in Jezebel’s homeland of Zarephath. Knowing how dangerous such a journey could be, Elijah goes all in. He leaves his safe haven and travels across the drought-ridden land to find the woman.

For showing such faith, Elijah is rewarded. He discovers that this widow is also willing to go all in with the Lord—even though she is a pagan with no connection to the God of Israel! She puts her life and the life of her son at risk, trusting that God will do what he has promised through this wandering prophet.

How about you? Have there been times in your life when you decided to go all in with the Lord? Perhaps by choosing one vocation over another or by finding the courage to finally confess a long-standing sin. Have you ever done this and not been rewarded by the Lord? Of course not!

But it’s not just in the major events that we can take steps like this. Every day offers us numerous opportunities to decide whether we are going to remain all in with the Lord. “How should I respond when people at work start to gossip?” “What should I say when a friend asks why I go to church?” “Is there anything I can do for that poor fellow on the street corner?” Each and every decision we make is an opportunity to affirm that we are “all in” with Christ.

Throw in all your chips, and see what kind of reward the Lord has waiting for you.

“Lord, help me go all in with you today. Teach me to entrust my whole life to you.”

from wau.org