The Widow at Zarephath’s Food
Before we go into today's word, let's look at this verse of the bible
1 Kings 17:15-16
“And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.”
God has different channels of His supernatural care for us. It is significant to note that it was the natural provisions, not the supernatural provisions, that diminished and finally got exhausted. There is a huge difference between the natural and the supernatural, as the latter controls the former.1 Kings 17:1-16
As the drought worsened, the brook dried up, leaving prophet Elijah without water (1 Kings 17:7). It is worthy of note that Elijah did not plan any move until the Lord specifically spoke to him and gave him fresh instructions. “Arise, go thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee. So, he arose and went to Zarephath” (1 Kings 17:8-10).
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When the brook dried up, Elijah was redirected by God to Zarephath where He had “commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee” (1 Kings 17:7-9; Luke 4:25-26). When he got to the gate of the city, he tested the first widow he saw by requesting for water and later a piece of bread. Recognizing Elijah as an Israelite, she appealed to God in affirming that she had no bread, except only a little flour and oil being the last meal for her son and herself (1 Kings 17:12).
After Elijah had allayed her present and future fears, he maintained that she should feed him first before preparing it for herself and her son: “And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.” (1 Kings 17:13).
Elijah then gave her a promise based on the authority of the word of God, that she would have food until the drought ended. She demonstrated her faith in the word of God by her obedient response. The Lord honoured the proclamation of His servant and the faith of the widow by fulfilling His word miraculously. Only the true God could provide flour and oil in a drought! Praise the Lord!.
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Lessons from the Miracle
• Even when the brook was finally dried up, Elijah did not device his own plans to start off somewhere, but he waited for God to redirect him. “5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
• As Elijah was sent to a widow and she believed the word of God and was saved from starvation (that causes death), so did God send Jesus Christ to the world to save those who believe in Him from eternal death (John 3:16-17).
• It is as we give, we receive (Luke 6:38).
• As Elijah requested the widow to make him a little cake “first” before the miracle, Jesus Christ taught: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33).
• Even a poor person has something to give to God, like the widow (Matthew 12:42-44).
God will not fill us until we are emptied of our own merits. So long as we have a full barrel of self, we shall never taste the fullness of God’s power.