In 1 Kings 17 Elijah a prophet of the Lord proclaims to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 1 Kings 17:1 After these words Elijah follows heads away from Ahab and hides in the wilderness. Was Elijah concerned about having his needs met since he just prophesied a drought in the land? Did Elijah have the faith to trust that God was going to supply his needs. God proves Himself faithful as he sends ravens to bring Elijah bread and meat twice daily. Can God supply your needs? Do you need a road map to take a step of faith? Elijah didn’t know what was going to happen next but he trusted that God would supply for his needs as he followed Him.
I love how God uses a widow to provide for Elijah’s needs as the drought becomes more severe. A widow in this society was not wealthy and she lived from moment to moment. This widow that God brings Elijah to is full of despair and ready to give up on life. She has nothing but a small amount of flour and oil to make a small cake of bread. What did this woman think of the man who asks for water and food in the middle of the drought? Did she believe the words Elijah spoke, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain on the face of the earth’ ” 1 Kings 18:12 What was it like every time the woman made food for herself, her son, and Elijah? Every time it must have appeared that there wouldn’t be enough flour and oil. Even through Elijah spoke the words of the Lord her faith must have been tested every meal.
Does life seem to be continually kicking you in the face and keeping you down? Never forget that it is all about God and never about us. God is consistently doing great and mighty works in our lives. I don’t know where this journey will lead but God is faithful and the experiences we live through become a testament to God’s goodness, faithfulness, and deliverance. It is sometimes difficult to trust God when life hits you on such a personal level like the widow in 1 Kings 17:10-24. Did the faith of the widow grow over the time that Elijah spent with her and her son? Did she learn to trust God because the faith that Elijah displayed? The widows seed of faith and trust in God is crushed when her son dies. This widow and had lost her husband in a society where everything comes and goes to the males of the family and she had just lost her son. She was broken an had nothing left to live for.
When life hits you close to the heart where you are most fragile, where will you find confidence? When life shatters before our eyes we need to remain confident in who God is and the faithfulness He displays in the simple sustaining of our lives life. This widow saw God’s continual blessing as she made bread from a spent supply but she didn’t grasp on to the hope that there was in God until the moment she saw her son alive and believed that God was at work. Do you think this widow was restored from her brokenness after this encounter with God? Don’t wait until the major difficulties of life to see God at work in your life because learning to trust God in the simple moments will carry you through the difficult times.
When Elijah finally returns to Ahab he speaks to all the people of Israel, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him, but if Baal, follow him.” 1 Kings 18:21 Why did people not react to what Elijah said to them? The worship of Baal and Asherah revolved around fertility and cult prostitution. Were the people so deep enslave to their sin that they needed to see God in a mighty way to have the bondage broken?
The eight hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and Asherah cry out to their deity to consume the sacrifice but get no response. Elijah calls the people to him as he rebuilds the alter of the Lord. He then drenches the sacrifice with 12 pitchers of water. Why was the water poured upon the alter and sacrifice? It proves that God was the one who truly working and not Elijah because there was no way by human standards that the sacrifice would be burnt up. ” ‘O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.’ Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.” 18:36-38 It is completely amazing how God displayed His power to the extent that the dust and water was even consumed. Was there any doubt in the peoples mind that the Lord is God? In response to God’s display the people chanted Elijah; Elijah, or the Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God. What a powerful name to have in a time when people are falling away from God. Elijah’s name and actions proclaimed that the Lord, He is God.
Do you claim power in the idols you worship? Do you find the power to deliver you in your sexual encounters, the alcohol you drink, or the money you make? It is a lie to claim that any idol you have placed in your life can deliver you. Only God alone can provide you the deliverance you need today. If you seek out any idol to replace God you will slowly fade into drudgery of life. I encourage you to make a stand against the consuming idolatry of the world and proclaim Elijah; the Lord, He is God.
