I Kings 17:8-24
Janet Loughry
November 10, 2002

I am a widow from a land far, far away. Zarephath is on the Mediterranean coast. I have one small child - a son. He is the treasure of my heart. My name -- well, my name has not lasted history. However, my story has. My story is a story of faith. A friend of mine wrote the story in a scroll much like this. But I have found it in this book you call the Bible. Go back with me to that time more than 2500 years ago.

I am just so tired, and even more hungry. It was not always this way. We have had no rain for many, many months, so about two years we are in this drought. And so we are all hungry. This hunger drains all energy and strength. It leaves the soul with no hope of recovery. I feel so weak, that doing the simple task of gathering a few small sticks for a fire actually hurts me. But I know I must continue, if only for my boy. He is so young and still does not understand when I tell him we have no food. How do you make your child understand?

And then it seems as though out of nowhere this holy man, in his garment of camel hair and long beard, is before me. I think I am seeing things. But here he is, talking to me. This holy man, for that is what he is, us asking me for a drink of water. Even in the middle of this drought, I do have a small amount of water to share.

I can tell he is a holy man. So I suppose that is why I am so startled with his next request. He calls after me asking for a morsel of bread. I am so shocked I just stand there a moment, looking at him, and thinking, "What nerve, you of all people should know I have nothing. Don’t you understand? You cannot be serious asking for the last of what I DO have, (umph) taking the food out of the mouth of my child!"

Even as I think all that, I feel something inside me, a calm begins to wash over my heart, and my voice. And I hear myself say, "As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die."

I guess I am looking for a little sympathy and for him to just stop and maybe even just go away after he has some water. Ha! Neither happens. He says, "Do not be afraid. Go and do as you have said." Relief floods through me. I turn to go, then.... he continues by saying, "But first, make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son." Now I know my hunger is affecting my ears and my head for I think, to myself, "But first, but first - nothing."

Once again I know I have such a look of amazement on my face, for he speaks again and what this holy man says next begins to work such a miracle within my soul. Even after all these years I find the words, the meaning, difficult, because I am immediately struck again by the promise he speaks from his God. I feel it still. He says, "For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth."

I just cannot not take it all in. But I must tell you, and it still feels strange to say, there is a feeling peace and a sense that there was truth in what this man says. All I can do is go and do as he bids.

Now I don’t have to tell you that it all worked out. The amazing thing is that it did...just as he said. This holy man, well I find out later his name is Elijah. I guess I am filled with just enough awe that I find myself opening my home to this holy man. I offer him the room above my home for him to rest. Oh, the gentle cool breeze and the view from up there make that upper room the best room in the house. He is able to find solitude and rest.

Well, a few hours turn into many weeks, actually a couple of years. I admit to being thankful for his company - even though Elijah spends many hours in his upper room studying and praying. I am glad he feels at home here. A friendship grows between us. We share our stories. I tell him about my late husband; such a good man. I miss him still. Elijah speaks a lot about Yahweh, the God of Israel. I listen and once in awhile I ask questions. Elijah knows so much and is kind and patient in answering my questions. And yes, I like to believe my boy and Elijah are good for each other.

Imagine my surprise as Elijah shares a bit of his circumstances. He is a hunted man!!! This guest in my home is a hunted man! The ones hunting him are none other than the Israelite King Ahab and his wife Queen Jezebel, a Phoenician, just like me. You see it appears Elijah is the one responsible for this awful drought we are all living in. He is the one who declared to King Ahab that no rain would fall on this entire region. He tells me the drought is to punish the people for listening to the well known prophet Baal and his followers, and for worshiping images they make. I’m just glad Elijah didn’t tell me that part of his story until I was assured that my jar of meal and jug of oil would not run out. I can see I am learning that what we require is provided daily. I am also learning we must have faith in this.

M-m-m-m, because of his faith in his God, Elijah not only lived by his God’s Word, he defended his God when he gathered courage and confronted the King to announce the punishment from his God. You see King Ahab is the one who ruled it was alright for God’s people to worship this Baal and the images. King Ahab was doing a lot to anger the God of Israel. But that is another story.

So, then Elijah acted in faith as he went into hiding beside the Brook Cherith, some distance from here. He even had to trust the birds to feed him. No wonder he insisted on having something home-baked. Elijah and I have a little chuckle that the brook of water that he was depending on eventually dried up, because of this no-rain-punishment he declared. Elijah further listened in faith to his God and left that place and came to this region. In faith he approached me, a Phoenician, like the Queen who is hunting him.

I am thankful he is not found. After all who would search for a holy man in the home of a starving Gentile widow and her young son. As we go through our daily routine, the promise that Elijah told me that is from his God keeps coming back to me. That promise touches not only my stomach and my mind, but it also reaches my heart. The truth of the promise is real in the supply of flour and the oil, as well as my growing faith in Elijah’s God to provide it, and everything else I need.

I am learning that daily we are to call on the Lord. Daily we are to ask, in faith, for our needs to be met. Daily, in faith, we are to be renewed, refreshed and re-filled by the Lord.

Wouldn’t this be a nice ending to my story?

But, then comes the day my entire world stops!!!!! I cannot not understand it. My son is saved from death by starvation only to die such a short time later? Why is this, if he is taken from me so soon anyway? I am confused, hurt. I am ANGRY! I lash out in my anger at Elijah. I want to know what did against Elijah to this for happen. Why would HIS God do this me. What had I done to deserve such horrible treatment?

In my grief and anger, I remember Elijah that horrible day. Like I said, over the time he stayed in our home in his upper room, we had become true friends. He does not even try to console me. All he says is, "Give me your son." I do - I don’t know how, but I do. He turns and carries my dead son up the stairs to the upper room. I weakly follow and watch him put my son on the bed. Then Elijah - I guess the only word for it is - he wrestles with God in prayer for my son. Elijah seems to completely identify with my own tragedy.

In his prayer Elijah says: "O Lord my God, have you brought misery to the widow with whom I stay by causing her son to die? Return this child’s soul to him again." He begins stretching himself upon my son. It seems as if he wants the warmth and life of his own body to flow into my son’s cold, still body. After the second time I can bear it no longer. I go downstairs to cry, to grieve...alone. I leave Elijah to deal with his God... alone.

As I sit here, I continue to question God. To question my own feelings. I remember back those few years of the miracle of the food provided my son and me. For it was really a miracle of new life. I know this faith began to grow. I remember the words of Elijah and the promise he made from His God. His words were true. He spoke the Word of God. I did trust Elijah and I had begun to trust God. But now my son is dead. What had I done, and where was God in this? I never expected anything good from Baal - he took children all the time. I am angry at Elijah’s God because I had come to trust that good would come from HIM.

This suffering reaches a new depth inside me. Yet, in my doubt and shock and anger and grief, I feel a strange warmth, a presence with me, just holding me. I sense in my heart I am going to be alright - even though my son is dead.

I don’t know how long I sit here chilled to my soul, yet strangely warm and at peace. But somewhere in my grief I hear the stairs creek and think that now Elijah is coming to console me, and perhaps to be consoled. I do not look up when he enters the room. Elijah says, "See, your son is alive."

I cannot believe what I hear. I look up and I see him holding my son who smiles brightly into my eyes, sort of laughing at me. I take my child from Elijah with such awe in my heart. Now I know that a new and deep and lasting trust is forming inside me. All I can say to poor Elijah is, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth."

You see, all that Elijah had been teaching me comes flooding back at those moments. It all is from the Lord - MY LORD - and it is the truth and I know it in my own heart. It is a very special blessing that Elijah was sent to my home at all. All that has happened is how God

chose to grow my knowledge of Him, through my own personal experience. God responded to me, to my very weak and blundering gesture of kindness with His own abundant blessings. He revealed Himself as provider and source of life - to both Elijah and me.

God’s desire for each of us is to discover Himself in our daily living as well as in whatever crisis we experience - so that we have the power to walk daily in obedience, joy and victory. Victory will look differently for each of us. This is faith at its best.

God still responds and reveals Himself today. He responds to humble and open hearts with rich and full blessings for this life and life eternal. In the life of is only Son Jesus Christ, whom He sent for the forgiveness of sins and new life, God reveals that He is still the provider and source of new life to each of us. In faith we can respond to Him.