Good Morning Sunshine! Jars & Jugs Is Your Sign That You Have Moved From Survival To Overflow!

1 Kings 17:15–16 (NIV) – “So she went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.”

Today’s devotional is the bridge connection from last week. Last week was about God’s provision, your obedience, and the hidden places, droughts, and overflow. This week, the theme will shift from provision to His Presence, reminding you that even greater than what God provides for you, is that this is who He is! The story of Elijah and the widow at Zarephath is to remind you of the faithfulness of God’s provision. Last week, you leaned deeply into the truth that when God hides you in a place of drought, He has already prepared a way of provision in the hidden spaces. The brook and the ravens taught you obedience, the jar and the jug is showing you God’s overflow.

But today, as you move into this new week, the Spirit is calling you to see that provision is not the end, it is the bridge that leads you into His Presence. Elijah obeyed God’s word to go to Zarephath, and the widow obeyed Elijah’s instruction to feed him first. That act of faith was not simply about food, but was about aligning with the Presence of God, who sustains life itself. Her jar and jug never ran dry because she encountered the God of abundance. Provision was the evidence, but His Presence was the true miracle. Often, when you think about survival, you measure it by what you have, what’s left in the jar, what’s still in the jug, how much resource there is around us. But the Word here shows you that survival is not the absence of need; it is about the Presence of God sustaining you in the need. That transition, from focusing on what you see to focusing on the God who sees you, is what turns survival into overflow.

Last week, your heart may have been in the hidden place, leaning on God’s daily bread to keep you through. And it was there you learned that obedience is the doorway to overflow. This week, the Lord is saying, “Do not stop at the provision. Come into My Presence, because I Myself am the bread of life.” The widow did not just feed Elijah; she became a participant in God’s miracle. Her household experienced daily evidence that God was with them. The oil and the flour did not run dry, not because of her own hand but because of God’s sustaining Presence. When God steps in, what looks empty keeps pouring, what looks finished keeps flowing.

From survival to overflow is not just about more resources, it is about a deeper revelation. The jar and jug could have filled once and that alone would have been miraculous. But the overflow was continuous because it was meant to point her eyes not to the resource, but to the Source! God does not want you to just taste His provision; He wants you to taste and see His Presence. This is why Psalm 34:8 says, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.” It’s not just about provision; it’s about experiencing Him. His goodness is not limited to what He gives; His goodness is who He is. The miracle of provision is always meant to lead you to the miracle of His Presence.

If you only stop at the provision, you will keep looking for the next jar and the next jug. But when you step into His Presence, you discover that He Himself is your sustainer. He is the Living Water, the Bread of Life, the true Oil that never runs dry. Provision points us forward, but Presence anchors us forever. The widow’s story is your story. God moves you from moments of desperation into testimonies of abundance, but then He draws you deeper, into Himself. This is the bridge into your new week; God wants you to know that greater than His gifts is His Glory, greater than His provision is His Presence.

Maybe last week you were praying for God to meet your need. This week, He is inviting you into a higher prayer: “Lord, let me dwell in Your Presence. Let me see You beyond what You do for me.” That prayer will take you beyond jars and jugs into the joy of His Presence. The bridge between survival and overflow is the recognition that God is with you. And when God is with you, no jar will ever be truly empty, and no jug will ever truly run dry. The supply may look small, but His Presence is infinite.

This week, step into His Presence, and let the story of Elijah and the widow remind you that your testimony is not just in what you have received, but in who you are walking with. From survival to overflow, the true blessing is not just that your needs are met but that the God of Heaven is dwelling with you. Let this bridge carry you into a deeper hunger for Him. From provision to Presence, from jars and jugs to tasting and seeing that the Lord is good, God is leading you into more than enough, not because of what He gives but because of who He is.

Let’s Pray:

Father, thank You for the reminder that You are not only the God who provides but the God who is present. Thank You for carrying me through the hidden places of drought and overflow, teaching me obedience, faith, and trust. Lord, I confess that too often I focus on the jar and the jug, on what I see in my hands, instead of lifting my eyes to see You. Teach me this week to look beyond the provision to Your Presence, for You are the true sustainer of my life. I thank You for every season of survival, for in those seasons I learned dependence. I thank You for every season of overflow, for in those moments I learned Your abundance. But now, Lord, teach me to rest in You, the Giver, the Source, the One who never runs dry. Father, just as You sustained Elijah and the widow, sustain me daily by Your Presence. Let me hunger not only for bread but for every word that proceeds from Your mouth. Let me thirst not only for water but for the Living Water that satisfies my soul. Father, I ask that You shift my perspective from survival to overflow, from what I can count in my jar to the immeasurable riches of Your glory. Let me recognize that You are with me, and that is my true treasure. Lord, I thank You that Your Presence is enough to fill every empty place in me. Even when resources look small, remind me that You are infinite, and in You, I will never lack. Teach me to taste and see Your goodness this week, not just in what You provide but in who You are. Let my testimony be that I encountered the Living God, and that His Presence became my portion. I pray that this week my steps will be guided not by fear of lack but by faith in Your Presence. May I carry Your peace, Your joy, and Your strength into every space I enter. Father, align my heart with Yours so that provision will always point me back to Presence. Let me never idolize the gift over the Giver, but always recognize that every good and perfect gift comes from You. Thank You, Lord, for being more than enough. Thank You for jars that never run out, jugs that never go empty, and a Presence that never departs. May I walk this week in the fullness of Your Presence, tasting and seeing that You are good. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

Nugget: “Provision may sustain you, but His Presence will transform you.”

Blessings…

Love Dr. Jean