And let your widows trust in Me – Jeremiah 49:11b
I had an aunt who used to sew on the side and a co-worker who sews her own tops and dresses. My mother had a sewing machine but I don’t remember seeing her use it. Growing up it never occurred to me to learn how to sew. I was more interested in reading romance novels. If I were among the poor of Asia, knowing how to sew would come in very handy.
For the poor of Asia, sewing is not just a hobby; it is an opportunity to earn a livelihood for their family.
For one widow, sewing was her lifesaver. Unable to feed her family, she cried out to God in desperation and He answered her prayer through a sewing machine. Watch her amazing story.
I was moved by her story. She turned to God in her greatest need and He came through for her. As God usually does, what He provided was beyond what she expected. And in response to His faithfulness, she was faithful in returning a tithe of what she earned. The sewing machine was not only the source of her income which she used to feed her family but it was her opportunity to share her testimony with others. As a result her neighbors wanted to know more about the God who had given her the sewing machine which changed her life and the lives of her children.
It’s remarkable how God used something as simple and basic as a sewing machine to answer this widow’s prayers. And He is using sewing to bring joy to other women. In South Asia, there are sewing centres where they receive daily devotions, counseling, prayer and fellowship while attending a four-month sewing course which will equip them with the skills they need in order to have a better future.
Imagine the joy of a woman living in poverty in India, who is able to sell the beautiful garment she has created, to feed her family or help put a roof over their heads. Imagine the greater joy she felt upon hearing those beautiful words of Jesus for the first time through the sewing/tailoring ministry established in her village, where she learned to sew and establish her business – Christian Aid Mission
The widow reminded me that it is always best to wait upon the Lord. She thought of remarrying but decided against it because it would not have been the best thing for her children. She put their needs before her own. She turned to God instead. She followed Solomon’s advice, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding ; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5, 6). Even in her moments of despair and desperation, she held on to her faith and leaned on the Rock, trusting in His love and compassion. And her prayers were answered in the most wonderful and unexpected way.
I pray that we will have the faith of this widow who didn’t cave the temptation to solve her problems by herself. Too often we try to do things on our own instead of seeking God in prayer and waiting for Him to act on our behalf. Faith and reason prevailed in this widow’s case. She didn’t have to depend on a new husband to care for her. Instead she could depend on Almighty God who would be a Father to her children.
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you – Matthew 7:7
Sources: Gospel for Asia; Christian Aid Mission
