1 Kings 17:7-24 – 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.”
“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.’” From her statement to Elijah, “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” we see that she probably knew of him. It is extremely likely that since it had not rained and they were in a famine that the word had spread that God had used Elijah to pronounce judgement against the evil King Ahab. It seems like she knew who he was. Perhaps there had been excitement as the people of Zarephath heard that he on his way to their town. Either way, she knew he was a man of God. So when this strange man, who had said that it would not rain until he called for it to again rain, and the prophecy was coming true, when he gave her instructions to go ahead and first make him something to eat, and then make her and her son something to eat, and after he had told her that God Himself was giving her a promise to provide for her and her son, she believed it. She was sure this was a man who was a prophet sent from God. She believed that God spoke through him and she trusted God. So she held onto the word from God and did as she was directed.
First she was to honor God by making food for Elijah. This was consistent with an order of prioritization that God had set long ago. We see in Leviticus 23:9-14 that God said that the first fruit harvested is offered to God to honor Him. It is important that in all things in our lives God must have the highest priority. It is not because God has a huge ego, it is for our benefit. To follow God we must keep Him as the first focus of attention. Otherwise we can get distracted and led astray. At the start of the day God should be the recipient of the first fruit of our day. When we wake and give God the first fruit of our attention and devotion then it facilitates that we can be in fellowship with Him throughout the day in continuous prayer. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) When we give God the first part of our paycheck, then we honor Him as we know it is He who provides for us and that we are grateful. When blessings come our way, it is He whom we first think to thank because we know that while God may use others to bless us, the origin of the blessings is God. (James 5:17) So it is natural that the widow would pay homage by blessing His prophet, before the blessings enjoyed by her son and her. First fruits belong to God.
God always has a plan. God directed Elijah to seek out the widow and at that time He would have Elijah bless her with the promise from God, and she would bless Elijah from the endless supply of food that God would bless her with. In order to be blessed by God, in order to even live, she must believe the word that God gave to her through Elijah. She must believe with action. She must be obedient and do what God required her to do. Even if it seemed absurd to her, she must be obedient to God. God gave her a sure promise and she would receive the promise through belief, through faith and through obedience. Blessings for all of us are received the same way. First by faith and by continuing in loving obedience.
We learn from Elijah that God’s plans don’t usually mean that we are to stay in one place. He very often, but not always, moves us from ministry at one place to ministry at another place. We need to be in constant communication with Him so that our ministry is always as the Lord directs. When brooks dry up, it may be that God is moving us to another location. Elijah knew that he was in a God directed place in the Kerith Ravine. He had a brook and God caused ravens to bring him food. Elijah was being richly blessed. And because he was in constant communication with God, Elijah knew when to move on. God had a purpose and it was not just to bless him, but to also bless the widow and her son. I believe, though it is not said, that the widow had been crying out to God and so God took care of the widow and Elijah at the same time. God does that kind of thing. He is all knowing and fully able to accomplish His full will. And He also does that for us. He calls us here, and moves us here and there by the guidance of His Spirit. We are not fully privy to what tomorrow holds and so we are fully dependent on the will of God and on His leadership (James 4:13-15, Proverbs 19:11, Luke 12:13-31) Yet, we know that God is good and that He loves us. Always He watches over us. So we must move on when God call us too. We must know His voice so that we know His instruction. God can use circumstances (A brook drying up) to get our attention, but we must make sure we properly understand how the Spirit is leading. The possibilities, with God, are endless. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”