Scripture to Read: 1 Kings 17:7–12
There are times when God has provided in a miraculous way, but then, the circumstances change and we must decide whether we’re going to lean on Him (Proverbs 3:5–6) or lean on ourselves. God shows us that Elijah’s circumstances changed, as we read in 1 Kings 17:7, “It happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.” Though the brook had dried up, God was not limited. God already had His plan for Elijah taken care of, as we read in 1 Kings 17:8–9, “Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 ‘Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.’” God had spoken to a widow about caring for Elijah. Again, Elijah never questioned the Lord, but left where he had been and went to the gate of the city of Zarephath, where the widow lived. When Elijah saw the widow, he asked her for some water and for a little piece of bread. The widow said to Elijah in 1 Kings 17:12 that she had no bread, but only a little flour and a little oil, and that she had planned to prepare it for her and her son that they might eat and die. Though God had spoken to her about caring for Elijah, she thought she and her son would die of starvation. God had spoken and the widow willingly obeyed. God expects us to willingly obey Him the same way, even when it doesn’t make sense.
Challenge & Application
How did God challenge Elijah to trust Him to provide, and how did God challenge the widow to do the same?
How has God challenged you in the past to trust Him, even when it did not make sense to you?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!