1 Kings 17 New International Version (NIV)Elijah Announces a Great Drought
17 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe[a] in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”
Elijah Fed by Ravens
2 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: 3 “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.” 5 So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
Elijah and the Widow at Zarephath
7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” 12 “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.” 13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’” 15 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. 16 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. 17 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 18 She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?” 19 “Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” 22 The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!” 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.”
This life event happened for you and I to believe. This story sums up some truth that we, as Christians, can hold on to for dear life. I love the word of God and believe that it has a wealth of information and truth that can grow us into the disciples that God wants us to be.
Points to take from this Story:
- God is in control - two critical times in Elijah's timeline, God has said, "I have directed" He is in control ALWAYS
- Faith without works is dead - God brought His prophet and this widow together. God had ordained this very meeting. One person (Elijah) was mature in God's word and Spirit and believed and acted on his faith in God. The other person, a widow with a son, was hell bent on giving her and her son one last meal before they surely died - She was hopeless. Yet, she let God lead her to this Holy man, God's Prophet, and trusted the words. Even though, she still thought they were doomed and probably said in her heart, "yes, okay, sure, I will give you my son and I's last meal" but then realized that she was talking to God's prophet and she acted. She took the step of faith - she gave it all knowing the cost could surely be death (she trusted).
- She went away - she went away to do the man of God's will (to cook for him) she trusted him and she went away IN FAITH and believed
- Even in Hopeless times - No matter how hopeless and desperate times seem - God makes the impossible possible. God fed Elijah, the woman and her son. God rose her son from the dead. He is an Awesome God.
How many of us put God in a box and pull him out only when we need Him or only when the situations are too grave for just our little 'ol selves to handle? How many of us fear God, yet fail to grow our relationship with him? (We know that He is in Heaven and in control) yet we forget that He wants a relationship with us.
How many of us are afraid to give it all to God? Our jobs, our families, our divorce, our singleness, our broken dreams and our money? Is God in Control? Is He over it all? Then why do we limit God's blessings in our life. Take a step toward relationship and trust and in obedience to Him see what He has in store for you.
Blessings,
Dante