Upon A lonely hillside in Scotland, far removed from any other dwelling, there lived a poor lone widow, who for many a long year had learned to rest in every difficulty and in all her need upon Him who has said, “Let thy widows trust in Me.” It was in the depth of winter and the poor woman’s stock, never very abundant, was reduced to its lowest by the difficulty of finding any employment at that season of the year. Unlike the widow in the Hebrew story, she actually found her barrel of meal fail, and when she had finished the last handful she went to bed, possibly with hope that she might be successful in earning a few pence on the morrow.
When the morrow came a terrible snowstorm swept over the land, and the lane leading to her little cottage was almost blocked with snow. It was quite beyond her slender powers to battle with the raging storm and make her way to some neighbor’s house where at least she would be made welcome to a dish of porridge. There was only one Friend to whom she could apply, and in Him she had the most perfect confidence.
Accordingly she filled her pan with water, and put it upon the fire, and actually put the salt in the water.
“No,” she said to herself, “I’ll jist gang ben, and ask the Lord for the meal.” So she retired to her bedroom, and there with thanksgiving and praise she made her wants known to the Lord. She had not been long on her knees when there was a loud knock on the door, “Na an, Lord,” she said, “Thou canst no hae sent the answer sae soon.”
But the knocking continued, and on her opening the door a farmer’s daughter, who lived some distance off, flung down a sack of meal on the floor, exclaiming, “Father sent ye that; and I think ye may be very grateful to me for bringing it here through all this terrible storm. All morning Father has been talking about that sack of meal, and snow or no snow, I must be sure and take it to you.”
The widow stood with uplifted hands and eyes bedimmed with grateful tears as she exclaimed, “He’s aye the same, Jeanie! He’s aye the same! Many a long year hae I trusted Him, and I ne’er found Him fail; and He’s nee failed me noo. I put on the water, and I put in the salt, and ne’er a grain o’ meal had I in the hoose. Sae I was just asking the Lord to send me the meal, when I heard ye knock at the door, and noo here comes the meal jist while I was asking for it,”
Yes, the Lord is ready to supply all our needs, when we ask Him in faith. He tells us to cast “all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.” 1 Pet. 5:77Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:7). He will never fail His child, for He is a bountiful God, and His tender mercies far exceed anything this world has to offer.
ML 01/15/1961