Elijah and God’s Faithful Provision (1 Kings 17:1-24)
In a time when many people in Israel were turning away from God and worshiping false gods, God raised up a prophet named Elijah. Elijah’s story begins during a difficult season, but it’s filled with hope, miracles, and reminders that God takes care of His people—even in the hardest times.
Elijah Announces a Drought
Elijah was sent by God to give a message to King Ahab, who had led the nation into idol worship. Elijah told the king, “There will be no rain or dew in the land until I say so.” This wasn’t just a weather report—it was a warning. The land would go through a drought because the people had turned away from God.
God Provides by a Brook
After giving this message, Elijah had to hide for his safety. God told him to go to a quiet place called the Kerith Brook. There, God did something amazing: He sent ravens to bring Elijah food every morning and evening. Elijah drank from the brook and ate what the birds brought him. Even though the world around him was dry and struggling, God made sure Elijah had what he needed.
A Widow’s Act of Kindness
Eventually, the brook dried up because of the drought. God then told Elijah to go to a town called Zarephath, where a poor widow would help him. When Elijah met her, she was gathering sticks to cook a small meal for herself and her son—what she thought might be their last meal.
Elijah asked her for some water and a piece of bread. At first, she was hesitant. She only had a little flour and oil left. But Elijah told her, “Don’t be afraid. Make me a small cake first. God promises that your jar of flour and jug of oil will not run out.”
A Miracle of Daily Provision
The widow chose to trust Elijah—and God. She made him a small meal first, and just like Elijah said, her flour and oil never ran out. Day after day, there was enough food for Elijah, the widow, and her son. God provided exactly what they needed, even when it seemed impossible.
A Life Restored
Later on, the widow’s son became very sick and died. The mother was heartbroken and wondered why this had happened. Elijah took the boy upstairs, laid him on a bed, and prayed to God with all his heart.
God heard Elijah’s prayer and brought the boy back to life! When Elijah gave the boy back to his mother, she was amazed and full of faith. She said, “Now I know for sure that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord is true.”
What Can We Learn from This Story?
Elijah’s story reminds us that God is faithful. Even when times are tough and resources are low, God knows how to take care of His people. Whether it’s sending food through birds, stretching out a little flour, or raising someone from the dead—God’s power and love are real.
Sometimes, we may not know how things will work out, but like the widow, we can choose to trust and obey. And just like Elijah, we can pray boldly and expect God to move.
Reflection:
When life feels uncertain, do you trust that God can provide? Elijah’s story encourages us to have faith—even when we can’t see the way forward.
1 Kings 17:1-24 (WEB)
17:1 Elijah the Tishbite, who was one of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.”2 Then the LORD’s word came to him, saying, 3 “Go away from here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan. 4 You shall drink from the brook. I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the LORD’s word, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith that is before the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. 7 After a while, the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.8 The LORD’s word came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain you.”10 So he arose and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and said, “Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink.”11 As she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”12 She said, “As the LORD your God lives, I don’t have anything baked, but only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jar. Behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go and do as you have said; but make me a little cake from it first, and bring it out to me, and afterward make some for you and for your son. 14 For the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘The jar of meal will not run out, and the jar of oil will not fail, until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth.’ ”15 She went and did according to the saying of Elijah; and she, he, and her household ate many days. 16 The jar of meal didn’t run out and the jar of oil didn’t fail, according to the LORD’s word, which he spoke by Elijah.17 After these things, the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his sickness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 She said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, you man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to memory, and to kill my son!”19 He said to her, “Give me your son.” He took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into the room where he stayed, and laid him on his own bed. 20 He cried to the LORD and said, “LORD my God, have you also brought evil on the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?”21 He stretched himself on the child three times, and cried to the LORD and said, “LORD my God, please let this child’s soul come into him again.”22 The LORD listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 Elijah took the child and brought him down out of the room into the house, and delivered him to his mother; and Elijah said, “Behold, your son lives.”24 The woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the LORD’s word in your mouth is truth.”