In today’s reading, I came across one of my all-time favorite accounts from the Bible. Elijah and the widow of Zarephath! This account has always encouraged my faith, especially during hard times.
Israel is under the chastening hand of God. They have sinned in turning to idolatry. God had already told them what would happen if they did this. Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, lest the Lord’s anger be aroused against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there be no rain, and the land yield no produce, and you perish quickly from the good land which the LORD is giving you. (Deuteronomy 11:16–17, NKJV)
In the midst of this chastening drought, a widow and her son are suffering. They have just enough flour and oil for one more meal. After this, they plan on dying. The prophet Elijah, however, asks for a small cake from her first, which would leave nothing for the widow. This “ask” does come with a promise, however. If she does this, the flour barrel and the oil jar will only run out once the Lord brings rain. Hmm…what should she do? She puts first things first. She honors the Lord by trusting Him and trusting that He will be faithful to keep His promise. As a result, she becomes the wealthiest woman in all of Israel during that drought. The new currency during a drought is flour and oil; she always has enough.
What an encouragement for us believers! We have the same God that Elijah and the widow had. He has given us some exceeding great and precious promises. As we honor God by trusting him, do we not become some of the wealthiest people alive? Is not God enough? Yes, he is! So, first things first, let’s trust God no matter what. He is always enough!
Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from 1 Kings 17-19.