It doesn’t make sense to me! Why would God ask a widow with a son to support, who was preparing the last of her food for a meal for them to share before they died, to provide food for Elijah? Weren’t there any number of rich people who could have afforded to show hospitality to Elijah? Does this seem a bit cruel for God to demand so much of a widow?
What kind of faith did this widow have, that she would respond to God’s command to feed Elijah? She couldn’t have known how God would multiply the little bit of food that she had left, to provide even more meals!
How could Elijah take food from her? He was an able-bodied man, capable of working for a living, and here he was, dependent on a poor widow!
There is such a richness of truths that come from this story!
- God always provides for those who trust in him!
- Sometimes we have to swallow our pride to receive hospitality and help from someone who does not have much!
- In God’s plan, he was teaching both Elijah and the widow a valuable lesson in trusting him.
Elijah had been fed by ravens before coming to Zarephath! He had to absolutely depend on God to provide for his needs, no questions asked.
The widow ended up providing a room for Elijah whenever he was in Zarephath, further trusting God to provide what was needed for herself and her son. (Her faith was tested again when her son eventually fell ill and died, but that is a story for another devotional!!)
Do you feel like you have little to offer anyone else who needs food, housing or other necessities of life? Just because you don’t have much doesn’t mean that God excuses you from ministering to “wayfaring strangers.” In fact, if I was a widow, this story would encourage me to believe that God still needed me to fulfill his plan to provide help to others he brought into my path.
Father God, you never stop surprising us with the way that you work, using the weak or fringe members of our world to fulfill your plan! Thank you for the reminder that you call me to offer hospitality, no matter how inconvenient, to build my faith and trust in you. Amen.
For Today: Perhaps you are a widow, and you wonder if God still loves you, valuing you as a vital part of his plan. Are you willing to trust God sacrificially today? Even if you are not a widow, God needs you to be hospitable to strangers, especially to his missionaries and other harvest workers. The next time you hear of a need, ask God if he is calling you to give what you have to provide for the food and housing of others.
Photo Credit: Wolf Art