God’s Miraculous Provision
When you and I measure what God is
doing, we tend to measure it by what we see and think according to the human
viewpoint.
The question we need to ask
ourselves is:
"DO I TEND TO LOOK AT HUMAN
CONDITIONS AS A BASIS FOR MY CONFIDENCE OR DO I SEE THROUGH THEM TO THE
SAVIOR?"
Note two things here:
(1) We find Elijah at the gate of the city of
(2) If Elijah was looking for something to encourage him
from the human standpoint of the widow, like a well-dressed woman living in a
luxurious house with a well-stocked pantry, his hopes were soon dispelled.
By human measurement, how
reasonable was it that this man of God could expect sustenance under her
roof?
But the path of obedience is the
path of faith that looks to God and not to circumstances both before and after
the will of God becomes clear.
Elijah's response is the issue at
point.
Need to remember that the brook
was a preparation for him. The God who
commanded the ravens and supplied through them, was the same God who had
commanded the widow and would supply through her.
We must come to grips with the
reality that our circumstances will never diminish the character or power of
God. They can in no way change His
faithfulness or omnipotence.
Elijah responded in faith. But how did faith manifest itself.
(a) Like Abraham on
He did not judge according to
sight, but according to God's character and divine essence.
(b) Elijah trusted in the promises of
God. He didn't throw up his hands and
say, "I don't believe this! You mean this poor soul is my supply for
food? How in thunder can she help
me?"
He responded to God rather than
reacting.
(c) Elijah acted in
faith with his eyes on the Lord. 2 Cor. 5:7
In verses 10 and 11 Elijah makes a request of the widow.
In verse 12 we see the widow's response.
It appears from vs:12 that she had given up
and was ready to die.
It also
appears she was without any real knowledge of the Lord and without faith.
She needed to see the testimony of
Elijah's life as well as the power of God.
Elijah's response in verses 13 and
14 were words of faith, compassion, and vision.
1.
He
undoubtedly felt compassion for this poor woman, as he should have.
2.
He
knew his own solutions or strategies for meeting his and her needs were not
sufficient.
3.
He
knew God was faithful, powerful, and purposeful. He knew she was poor, yet God's resources, His source of supply was no accident or mistake.
4.
He
knew his needs were God's concern and that they were met in the Lord.
5.
He
knew God was aware of his longings to preach in
6.
He
had a vision for and was committed to God's purpose. This meant he must be available to serve
others and trust the Lord for his needs.
What lessons can we learn from
this passage of Scripture?
1.
Look
beyond the circumstances to the Lord, remember He is
Yahweh Yireh--the Lord who supplies.
2.
Never
judge or measure God's supply by what you can see. He is the One who does exceeding abundantly
beyond all we can ask or think.
3.
Ask
God for the perspective needed to see the opportunity for service/ministry to
others, often right under your nose.
4.
Ask
God for the compassion and love needed to reach out to others with His power
and love.
5.
Know
that the Lord is aware of your longings as well as your needs and turn them
over to Him.
6.
Know
also that all your basic needs have been met in Christ. Knowing that, commit yourself to fulfilling
God's purposes in your life.
A Warning: God sent Elijah
out of the land because the people were indifferent--indeed, rebellious to the
Word of God. No man or nation can
neglect God's truth without dire consequences.
Our nation is filled with steeples,
but there is a famine in our land. Not a
famine of food and water, for we have plenty but of the clear systematic
proclamation of the Word of God.
We've seen Elijah tested by God in the Palace, out by the
brook and now in Zarephath, out of the
How exciting it must have been to live with such a daily
miraculous supply, just as the prophet had promised, until rain once again came
... according to the Word of Lord God of Israel (1 Kgs.
17:14, 16).
Application:
We have the privilege of feeding on the miracle of God's daily provision
as we feed on the living Word (Christ) in the written Word (the Bible) which is
our Bread of Life.
Question:
How well are we handling God's daily supply? Are we presuming on the Lord or taking Him
for granted?
Are we
growing in our walk with Him? Is He our
source of trust and joy or is our focus in the supply--in what we get from
Him?
"Now it came about . . ."
(Cf. 1 Kgs. 17:17 with 18, 20 and Heb. 11:35)
First, with these words the text
introduces us to a tragic turn of events in the life of the widow-- the very
one to whom Elijah was sent to minister.
`
Second, this sudden turn of events, the
death of the son, was not by accident.
While we have accidents, we stumble, we fall, we can drive out in front
of an on-coming automobile because we are preoccupied, etc., still,
from God's perspective there are no accidents in the life of a believer or with
anyone for that matter.
"Now it came about after these things"
After what things?
Let's not miss this! The death of
the widow's son occurred after the blessings
and miraculous daily provisions mentioned in the above verses.
In other
words, after everything seemed to be okay, God placed a bend, a sharp turn in
the road.