“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.” 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. 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.’” 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. 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. 1 Kings 17:12-16 NIV
Elijah was an old pro at living by faith. During a bleak famine of several years that Elijah had prophesied, God told him to go and stay by the Kidron Brook for his protection and provision. That would provide water for him, and God would send ravens daily to deliver food – the original Uber. Elijah did that and lived with all his needs supplied while the rest of the entire nation were struggling and dying. But one day the brook dried up. Elijah didn’t panic. He was so in touch with God; he got a word from God and immediately obeyed again. In faith he went to the village of Zarephath to meet the widow God had said would be there. A widow? In the time of famine? What kind of hopeful resource direction was this? But he went, and as he entered the city he saw the widow, bent over heart, soul, and body, gathering sticks. He called to her and asked for a cup of water. With great humility and generosity, she went to get it. Then he added to please bring him a piece of bread.
That was too much. They were flat out. She was a widow with a dearly loved son. She told Elijah there was no bread, nor would there be. The famine had devastated them so thoroughly that she was gathering the sticks to fix a last meal with the tiniest bit of flour and oil she had left. She was going to feed her son and then they both would die. Elijah looked her scarcity in the face and challenged her to believe the impossible. If she would choose to obey God and bake him a small loaf of bread first, God would give her enough for her son and herself – and the oil and flour would keep coming until the famine was over.
When she trusted a man she had never met before who spoke with authority from God, this destitute widow saw God do the impossible – He dropped resources into her life for a long time, just what she needed, seemingly from thin air. Surprise twist to the story too. Quite some time later, her son suddenly got sick and died. Elijah was there and prayed a powerful prayer. God answered with restoring her son’s life! God only does the impossible in response to faith.
- The widow acted on her faith in God from the start, but she actively declared faith in Elijah after her son was raised. We never know what hangs in the balance of obedient faith, but it’s always more and better than we imagine.