A Lesson from the Widow of Zaraphath
1 Kings 17:8-16
1 Kings 17:8-16
The story of the widow of Zaraphath clearly shows a woman who was in dire straits. A famine had gripped the entire region and she and her small son had run out of provisions. In fact, she was down to her last meal. She was totally destitute without any means of support, and yet, she a Gentile, was shown mercy by God.
Elijah, God's prophet, was suffering under the same famine as she and God had instructed him to go to Zaraphath where a widow resided whom God had commanded to care for him. Don't you find it curious, yet comforting, that God specified that it was a widow? Yet, we can see from the story that Elijah and the widow provided support for each other. She obeyed Elijah's request for that last morsel of food, and miraculously was enabled by God to prepare a meal for the three of them each day until the famine ended. And it wasn't just their physical needs that were met. Their daily conversations and Elijah's spiritual insights had to be a blessing to the widow, thus lessening the loneliness of widowhood for her. In addition, undoubtedly Elijah played with her son and shared with him stories of the God of Israel. So, none of them had to muddle through the drought alone.
This widow was desperate, but God is a god of the desperate. Don't be afraid in your desperation, when the dark times of life come crowding in, to look God in the eye, so to speak, and seek Him for His provision for your need whether it be physical, emotional, financial, or spiritual. He will do for you as He did for this widow - the unexpected and the supernatural.
God didn't just drop the food in their mouths. That lonely, desperate widow had to first focus on the need of another, then trust God to meet her needs. So be prepared to be used by God to bring about the answer to your prayer. Never forget that though you may be a widow, you are never alone with God in your life. Just remember the widow of Zaraphath if you ever doubt that!
Shari Hervold
