Have you ever doubted God--or even a person--even when they've already proven themselves to you?
Today's passage describes an interesting story along these themes. The prophet Elijah approached a widow and asked for a meal. Unfortunately, the widow only had a handful of flour and a little bit of oil--enough to make a final meal for herself and her son. But selflessly, she trusted Elijah. Here's what it says:
And she went right off and did it, did just as Elijah asked.
And it turned out as he said—daily food for her and her family.
The jar of meal didn't run out and the bottle of oil didn't become empty:
God's promise fulfilled to the letter, exactly as Elijah had delivered it!
Later on the woman's son became sick.
Later on the woman's son became sick.
The sickness took a turn for the worse—and then he stopped breathing.
The woman said to Elijah,
The woman said to Elijah,
"Why did you ever show up here in the first place—
a holy man barging in, exposing my sins, and killing my son?"
Elijah said, "Hand me your son."
He then took him from her bosom,
Elijah said, "Hand me your son."
He then took him from her bosom,
carried him up to the loft where he was staying,
and laid him on his bed.
Then he prayed, "O God, my God,
why have you brought this terrible thing on this widow
who has opened her home to me? Why have you killed her son?"
Three times he stretched himself out full-length on the boy,
Three times he stretched himself out full-length on the boy,
praying with all his might,
"God, my God, put breath back into this boy's body!"
God listened to Elijah's prayer and put breath back into his body—
he was alive!
Elijah picked the boy up, carried him downstairs from the loft, and gave him to his mother. "Here's your son," said Elijah, "alive!"
The woman said to Elijah,
The woman said to Elijah,
"I see it all now—you are a holy man.
When you speak, God speaks—a true word!"
I thought this story was interesting because the widow had already witnessed one of God's miracles--He provided food to save her and her son. However, when her son was sick, her first reaction was to turn on Elijah, God's messenger in her life. But despite her doubt, God healed her son.
I can't imagine what this woman's life was like--she lost her husband, she faced desperate poverty, she watched her son suffer from severe illness and then she watched him die, too. I'm sure moments of doubt plagued her periodically. Where was God in her suffering? Why did all of these bad things happen to her?
I honestly don't know the answers to these questions and I don't think the woman in this story did, either. But the truly amazing thing is the fact that her life was not defined by her suffering. In the midst of her doubt, this widow selflessly gave her last meal in obedience to one of God's messengers. Her life wasn't defined by her suffering, but by a selfless step of faith...that ultimately led to a miracle.
Another interesting thing? Her second miracle didn't require anything on her part. She didn't do anything. She didn't even have the strength to believe her son could be healed or come back to life after death. But God intervened and performed a miracle anyway--it was pure grace and goodness.
By definition, all miracles are unexpected, supernatural gifts. I think that sometimes miracles happen partly because of faith (e.g. Jesus' words in Matthew 15). But one thing is certain: Miracles always happen because of God. God can make the impossible happen despite anything we do, think or believe--that's what makes Him God and what makes something truly miraculous.
Tomorrow: 1 Kings 18-20
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