Augustine of Hippo: TheOil Bottle Became anOil Well

Had God run out of resources, for Elijah to be sent to the widow? But if God were always to provide His servant with bread without human ministrations, where would the widow get her reward from? So, being in no need himself, he is sent to a woman in need; not starving himself, he is sent to a starving woman, and he says to her, Go, and fetch me a little to eat.

She had a small amount, which she was going to eat, and die. She answered, she hinted to the prophet just how much she had; and the prophet said to her, Go, first bring some to me.

She didn’t hesitate, but brought it. She offered refreshment, and earned a blessing. Saint Elijah blessed the jar of flour, and the flask of oil. That bit of flour was set there in the house, ready to be eaten up, and that oil was hanging from its peg, ready to be finished off; the blessing was attached, and those vessels became warehouses. The oil bottle became an oil well, the little bit of flour surpassed the most abundant crops.”

Augustine of Hippo (354-430) in Essential Sermons, trans. Edmund Hill, ed. Daniel Doyle, The Works of Saint Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century (New York: New City Press, 2007), Sermon 239.3.

This is the seventh of seven posts exploring the theme of 'abundance' in the sermons of one of my favorite orators. If you love these excerpts, do download the PDF of this epic collection of sermons freely here.

Let me draw out three lessons from today's Scripture and reading.

First, Elijah obeyed. When God said to remain by a river, he did it. And God supplied his needs with the help of birds. When God said to go to the widow, he went. Whatever God calls you to do, do it!

Second, the unnamed starving widow did not hesitate. She did not flinch. Rather than saving anything for herself, she shared what she thought was her last meal. When God calls you to sacrifice, do not hesitate.

Third, God did not turn the oil bottle into an oil well until the widow surrendered what all she had to the prophet Elijah. Surrendering everything to God will not leave you abased but open the pathway to abundance.

I shot the header photo when I visited a school that had been destroyed near the frontlines in Kharkiv, Ukraine in 2023 with my dear brother, Michael Cherenkov.

Not long after that we wrote a devotional book together for war-torn souls and persecuted Christians, entitled, Refuge. You can download it freely in English here.

We chose the cover image by Van Gogh as it reminded us of the school in Kharkiv. If you download it, you should see the resemblance.

It is also translated into Ukrainian. I plan to share it with all the people I meet when I return to Ukraine in December 2026.

For the last seven days, I have asked you to make a gift to strengthen suffering souls in Ukraine. Don't hesitate. Give something today.

Click here to go to the CTU global website. Click the blue give button to give and be sure to write "Project: Ukraine" in the "add a note" section.

In the words of Augustine, "offer refreshment and earn a blessing. "