Focus

As you quiet yourself for this brief time, be willing to be open to God in whatever way that may take place.

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Read

1 Kings 17:17-24 (NRSV)

After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill; his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. She then said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son!” But he said to her, “Give me your son.” He took him from her bosom, carried him up into the upper chamber where he was lodging, and laid him on his own bed. He cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?” Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” The LORD listened to the voice of Elijah; the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and gave him to his mother; then Elijah said, “See, your son is alive.” So the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.”

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Reflect

In this story, the prophet Elijah was outside the land of Israel. The text does not tell us how the Lord directed the woman at Zarephath to welcome Elijah; nonetheless, she received this stranger into her home and shared with him what she thought to be her family’s last meal. Amazing blessings followed her selfless decision. Her meager amount of oil and flour continued to be enough to feed her family, as well as Elijah.

You would think having a jar of never-ending flour and a bottomless jug of oil would have served as a sign of God’s favor, right? Surely, the provision of food in a time of severe famine and drought should have been enough for this mother to have faith, but then the woman’s son became sick and died. The jar still had flour and the jug still had oil, but it was not enough. She questioned God’s motives and even accused the prophet of killing her son as punishment for her sins. Elijah carried the dead boy upstairs, where he pleaded with the Lord. Incredibly, God brought the boy back to life. Elijah then had the great joy of returning the son, alive, to his mother and witnessing her groans of sorrow become shouts of joy. God had turned her doubt and emptiness into faith and fullness.

Sometimes we weep and question God when things go awry. When we center our life on Jesus Christ, the one who died and came back to life for our sake, we begin to see God’s plan to replace the tears and sorrows of this world with testimonies of faith and joy.

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Pray

Merciful God, hear our pleas and wipe away our tears. Surround those in deep sorrow with your care and comfort. May we find faith and life eternal in you. Amen.

Go with God.