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? '' As she was going to get it, he called, '' And bring me, please, a piece of bread.''
''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 oil in a jug. I am gathering few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it-and die.'' ''
Dear people, we see here that God commands Elijah to go to Zarephath.
''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 oil in a jug. I am gathering few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it-and die.'' ''
Dear people, we see here that God commands Elijah to go to Zarephath.
God asks Elijah to leave because the brook where he was drinking dried up due to lack of rains.
And Elijah was in need.
Many of us could wonder, God could have sent waters and filled the brook for feeding His servant ?
But we see here that God asks him to go to a certain place and only to a certain person.
This widow, apparently is a very poor person. A person who did not have anything even for herself and she and her son were at the verge of taking away their lives.
But we see here that God asks him to go to a certain place and only to a certain person.
This widow, apparently is a very poor person. A person who did not have anything even for herself and she and her son were at the verge of taking away their lives.
She was in a desperate condition, but God has chosen her to supply food for His prophet.
Dear people, let us meditate on this and understand some important things here - when Elijah had a need, God did not chose a well-to-do, rich person to feed His servant.
He did not chose someone with barns of grain, sufficient enough for feeding His servant to his satisfaction.
Instead, He chose someone who was badly in need, to the extent that she and her son planned to die, eating their last meal.
The widow must have certainly cried out to God for help.
His prophet Elijah needs food and water, and this woman too was in need of God's provision.
Elijah might not be aware of what has been happening at this widow's end.
But all he did was to blindly follow the instructions given by God.
Dear people, let us meditate on this and understand some important things here - when Elijah had a need, God did not chose a well-to-do, rich person to feed His servant.
He did not chose someone with barns of grain, sufficient enough for feeding His servant to his satisfaction.
Instead, He chose someone who was badly in need, to the extent that she and her son planned to die, eating their last meal.
The widow must have certainly cried out to God for help.
His prophet Elijah needs food and water, and this woman too was in need of God's provision.
Elijah might not be aware of what has been happening at this widow's end.
But all he did was to blindly follow the instructions given by God.
Elijah did not even enquire the Lord of the widow's conditions.
In obedience he just did what God told him to do.
When he reaches Zarephath, Elijah asks the woman directly to give him some drink and food, and we see that he did not enquire even her, whether she has anything or not.
This shows how blindly Elijah carried out the instructions of God without pondering on any circumstances.
Its then that Elijah learns from the woman that she does not have enough to provide for him.
At that moment, Spirit of God puts His word in Elijah, and thereby Elijah releases the blessing of God into her life.
Lets read from the Scriptures :
'' 1 Kings 17 :13 Elijah said to her, '' Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 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 gives rain on the land.' ''
Neither Elijah nor the woman had any clue of these turn of events, before hand.
In obedience he just did what God told him to do.
When he reaches Zarephath, Elijah asks the woman directly to give him some drink and food, and we see that he did not enquire even her, whether she has anything or not.
This shows how blindly Elijah carried out the instructions of God without pondering on any circumstances.
Its then that Elijah learns from the woman that she does not have enough to provide for him.
At that moment, Spirit of God puts His word in Elijah, and thereby Elijah releases the blessing of God into her life.
Lets read from the Scriptures :
'' 1 Kings 17 :13 Elijah said to her, '' Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 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 gives rain on the land.' ''
Neither Elijah nor the woman had any clue of these turn of events, before hand.
Elijah receives the instruction from God, and in obedience, goes to this widow.
The moment he learnt of her conditions, the Spirit of God filled Elijah with God's Word.
The widow then followed the instructions of the man of God, and thereby glory of God manifested, and there was a supernatural provision of flour and oil, to both the widow and the prophet, not just that one day, but for all the days until the famine was gone.
'' 1 Kings 17 : 15,16 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. ''
Dear people of God, please realize the importance of keeping the word of God and doing His will.
When we abide by His word and follow Him wholeheartedly, step by step God will take us into His glory.
Glory of God will manifest only when we are done with doing the will of God.
Here, as we see, God has taken them into His supernatural supply, step by step.
Elijah was first sent to a brook, there he ate food supplied by ravens.
Elijah was obedient.
He did not grumble for being fed by ravens.
He did not look at the quality of the food or the conditions near the brook.
Imagine if it were someone else and were asked to eat the food dropped by a bird, will that person not look at the food 10-20 times before he eats it?
But Elijah was thankful to God for keeping him alive and providing him supernaturally through the birds of the air.
The widow then followed the instructions of the man of God, and thereby glory of God manifested, and there was a supernatural provision of flour and oil, to both the widow and the prophet, not just that one day, but for all the days until the famine was gone.
'' 1 Kings 17 : 15,16 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. ''
Dear people of God, please realize the importance of keeping the word of God and doing His will.
When we abide by His word and follow Him wholeheartedly, step by step God will take us into His glory.
Glory of God will manifest only when we are done with doing the will of God.
Here, as we see, God has taken them into His supernatural supply, step by step.
Elijah was first sent to a brook, there he ate food supplied by ravens.
Elijah was obedient.
He did not grumble for being fed by ravens.
He did not look at the quality of the food or the conditions near the brook.
Imagine if it were someone else and were asked to eat the food dropped by a bird, will that person not look at the food 10-20 times before he eats it?
But Elijah was thankful to God for keeping him alive and providing him supernaturally through the birds of the air.
He did the will of God wholeheartedly.
'' 1 Kings 17 :2 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah : '' Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.'' So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.''
'' 1 Kings 17 :2 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah : '' Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.'' So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.''
And then when the brook dries up, God sends him to the widow.
Because that was the time when the widow too was exhausted of all her resources.
If we meditate on this Scripture, we realise that the widow too was taken through various stages, and was finally placed up in a situation where she could no longer see anything, for a further hope in her natural circumstances.
She certainly must have cried out to God, persistently.
But God's glory did not manifest until that day.
Because that was the time when the widow too was exhausted of all her resources.
If we meditate on this Scripture, we realise that the widow too was taken through various stages, and was finally placed up in a situation where she could no longer see anything, for a further hope in her natural circumstances.
She certainly must have cried out to God, persistently.
But God's glory did not manifest until that day.
She persevered untill the last day, doing the will of God, and that was the day when her human strength and natural resources were almost exhausted.
When Elijah asked her to give him food, she did not grumble, thinking he came to grab whatever little she had.
This shows her heart was still devoted to God, which reflected in her attitude towards the man of God. She honored Elijah's request without any hesitation.
In obedience, she did what the servant of God told her to do.
And when she kept the word of the Lord, its then the glory of God manifested, and turned around that last meal into a bubbling brook of provision, through out the famine days.
She was provided with a supernatural provision of flour and oil, that fed not only her family, but also Elijah, until God sent rain on that land.
Dear people, let us learn from these Scriptures this hour, that in order for us to see the glory of God, we must first do the will of God.
Both Elijah and the woman were given a continuous supply of food, only when they both have finished doing the will of God.
When Elijah asked her to give him food, she did not grumble, thinking he came to grab whatever little she had.
This shows her heart was still devoted to God, which reflected in her attitude towards the man of God. She honored Elijah's request without any hesitation.
In obedience, she did what the servant of God told her to do.
And when she kept the word of the Lord, its then the glory of God manifested, and turned around that last meal into a bubbling brook of provision, through out the famine days.
She was provided with a supernatural provision of flour and oil, that fed not only her family, but also Elijah, until God sent rain on that land.
Dear people, let us learn from these Scriptures this hour, that in order for us to see the glory of God, we must first do the will of God.
Both Elijah and the woman were given a continuous supply of food, only when they both have finished doing the will of God.
Therefore, let us learn from the behaviour of Elijah and the widow and decide this hour to do the will of God obediently.
For God's plans are higher than ours.
He will use right people in order to send us help. 'Right' from his veiw, not ours.
Always remember that our provider is God. Our help comes from God.
God could bring people who might seem apparently in a more desperate situation than yours, in order to meet your needs. But humbly abide by what God says, because it is His Glory that is going to provide, both you and the people He is bringing into your lives.
'' Proverbs 3 :5,6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. ''
In keeping with the word of God, just as Elijah and the woman had to their full without any toil, all through the famine days, God will supply His provision out of His unfailing love, without you having to toil, if you persevere, until the last moments, keeping His word.
'' Proverbs 3 : 9 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine . ''
For God's plans are higher than ours.
He will use right people in order to send us help. 'Right' from his veiw, not ours.
Always remember that our provider is God. Our help comes from God.
God could bring people who might seem apparently in a more desperate situation than yours, in order to meet your needs. But humbly abide by what God says, because it is His Glory that is going to provide, both you and the people He is bringing into your lives.
'' Proverbs 3 :5,6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. ''
In keeping with the word of God, just as Elijah and the woman had to their full without any toil, all through the famine days, God will supply His provision out of His unfailing love, without you having to toil, if you persevere, until the last moments, keeping His word.
'' Proverbs 3 : 9 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine . ''
'' Romans 3: 21-24 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.''
The widow believed the word of God through Elijah, and acted according to it. And hence she has seen the glory of God.
We all have sinned and come short of God's glory, but in order for us to see his glory, we must believe and have faith and act according to the word.
There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.''
The widow believed the word of God through Elijah, and acted according to it. And hence she has seen the glory of God.
We all have sinned and come short of God's glory, but in order for us to see his glory, we must believe and have faith and act according to the word.
It's only through Jesus, the Living Word, we will be justified by grace, and will be considered righteous.
And once we have done with the will of God by steadfastly doing what the word says, its then we can see His glory manifesting in our lives.
May God grant us undivided hearts that hold fast to Him and do His will until the end, and may God glorify Himself through each one of our lives.
May God grant us undivided hearts that hold fast to Him and do His will until the end, and may God glorify Himself through each one of our lives.
Lets pray..
Father, help us to have undivided devotion to Your commands and love You with all our hearts and souls.
Help us to keep Your decrees carefully, and do Your will steadfastly, and may You display Your glory in our lives and live among us..
May Your favor rest upon us like a dew on the grass, and may we blossom like lilies and spread the fragrance of Your loving kindness to the whole land around us.
In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
God Bless You.
