Provision from Obedience

The prophet Elijah was told by God to prophesy that a famine was coming to the land. That is not a ministry that will make you very popular, but Elijah was obedient. The Lord protected him and sent him to a place beside a brook called Cherith. After a while, the brook dried up, and Elijah’s water supply ran out (see 1 Kings 17:3-7).

“Then the word of the Lord came to him, ‘Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you’” (1 Kings 17:8-9, ESV). Elijah, who seemed to have very little provision, trusted and obeyed God, yet he was being sent to a poor widow.

“So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks” (1 Kings 17:10).

Elijah asked her for a jar of water and a morsel of bread, and she responded, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die” (1 Kings 17:12).

This widow was responding to him out of her hurt. She and her son were starving, and Elijah had come and said, “God sent me here to have you feed me.” She looks at her resources and thinks, “This is impossible!”

Elijah’s response was rather strange: “Do not fear; go and do as you have said” (1 Kings 17:13).

Why would he say that? Because he knew that God was not going to abandon this woman and her child. Elijah knew that as she obeyed God and blessed others through the little bit that she had, she would become blessed herself. The more she gave away, the more God increased what she had (see 1 Kings 17:14-16).

Friend, when you obey God, the windows of heaven open. God will not withhold his hand from you. He longs to pour out his blessings to show you his favor.