Devotional Verses Founded on and Illustrative of select Texts of Scripture [by Bernard Barton] |
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THE WIDOW'S MEAL AND OIL. |
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55
THE WIDOW'S MEAL AND OIL.
“And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of
oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by
Elijah.”
—1 Kings, xvii. 16.
How rich is poverty's scant hoard,
When God hath bless'd its lot;
How poor the heaps that wealth has stored,
If he hath bless'd them not:—
Witness proud Ahab's regal dome,
And the poor widow's humble home.
When God hath bless'd its lot;
How poor the heaps that wealth has stored,
If he hath bless'd them not:—
Witness proud Ahab's regal dome,
And the poor widow's humble home.
There dwelt she, with sufficient food
For nature's simple calls;
While fear and caution sentries stood
Beside a monarch's walls:—
Her cruse by power unseen was fed,
Her meal supplied their daily bread.
For nature's simple calls;
While fear and caution sentries stood
Beside a monarch's walls:—
Her cruse by power unseen was fed,
Her meal supplied their daily bread.
56
“The age of miracles is past,”
Some sceptic may exclaim;
But if on God our care we cast,
His power remains the same:—
Nor do our spirits less demand
The bounty of his liberal hand.
Some sceptic may exclaim;
But if on God our care we cast,
His power remains the same:—
Nor do our spirits less demand
The bounty of his liberal hand.
Is there no cruse whose store should feed
Devotion's hallow'd fire?
No living bread, whose daily need
Our deathless souls require?
Are there not seasons when we sigh
In secret o'er our scant supply?
Devotion's hallow'd fire?
No living bread, whose daily need
Our deathless souls require?
Are there not seasons when we sigh
In secret o'er our scant supply?
Be ours the faith the widow knew,
When she the seer supplied,
So shall we own the promise true,
God's goodness will provide;
The meal shall last, the cruse fail not,
'Till plenty be our spirits' lot.
When she the seer supplied,
So shall we own the promise true,
God's goodness will provide;
The meal shall last, the cruse fail not,
'Till plenty be our spirits' lot.
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