Day 33 - 50 Day Journey To Christ

Daily Reading:

1 Kings 17

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Elijah Announces Famine

1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from the Gilead settlers, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, I stand before Him, and there will be no dew or rain during these years except by my command!”

2 Then a revelation from the Lord came to him: 3 “Leave here, turn eastward, and hide yourself at the Wadi Cherith where it enters the Jordan. 4 You are to drink from the wadi. I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.”

5 So he did what the Lord commanded. Elijah left and lived by the Wadi Cherith where it enters the Jordan. 6 The ravens kept bringing him bread and meat in the morning and in the evening, and he drank from the wadi. 7 After a while, the wadi dried up because there had been no rain in the land.

Elijah and the Widow

8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Get up, go to Zarephath that belongs to Sidon and stay there. Look, I have commanded a woman who is a widow to provide for you there.” 10 So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow woman gathering wood. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup and let me drink.” 11 As she went to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.”

12 But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I don’t have anything baked—only a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil in the jug. Just now, I am gathering a couple of sticks in order to go prepare it for myself and my son so we can eat it and die.”

13 Then Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid; go and do as you have said. But first make me a small loaf from it and bring it out to me. Afterward, you may make some for yourself and your son, 14 for this is what the Lord God of Israel says, ‘The flour jar will not become empty and the oil jug will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the surface of the land.”

15 So she proceeded to do according to the word of Elijah. Then the woman, Elijah, and her household ate for many days. 16 The flour jar did not become empty, and the oil jug did not run dry, according to the word of the Lord He had spoken through Elijah.

The Widow’s Son Raised

17 After this, the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. His illness became very severe until no breath remained in him. 18 She said to Elijah, “Man of God, what do we have in common? Have you come to remind me of my guilt and to kill my son?”

19 But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, brought him up to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord and said, “My Lord God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow I am staying with by killing her son?” 21 Then he stretched himself out over the boy three times. He cried out to the Lord and said, “My Lord God, please let this boy’s life return to him!”

22 So the Lord listened to Elijah’s voice, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Then Elijah took the boy, brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. Elijah said, “Look, your son is alive.”

24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know you are a man of God and the Lord’s word from your mouth is true.”

(Note: Please read chapters 18 & 19 for the full story.)

Key:  Bold - Verse of the Day

Reflection:  The land was suffering from a severe famine.  Elijah was hiding from Ahab who was bent on killing him.  The famine was so bad that even God's prophet Elijah didn't have any food to eat, but God made a way out of this seemingly impossible situation.  In blessing Elijah, God also blessed the widow and her son.  Not only did they have enough to eat, but God also brought the widow's son back to life at the pleading of Elijah.  

Discussion Topic: We see time and time again how God provides for His own and often blessing others in the process.  Thinking back over the past few weeks, can you give an example of how God's blessings not only benefited you, but those around you? 

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Prayer:  Lord, I thank You for all that I have in my life.  Thank You for not only blessing me, but for also blessing my family and friends who have benefited from the gifts You have poured out upon me from Your many storehouses in heaven.  Thank You for rescuing me from situations that would seem hopeless to most and I praise You for using those situations to bless others as well.  To You be all the praise and glory forever and ever.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Acknowledgements: Text - BibleGateway.com, Artwork - Elijah Meets the Widow: Pastor Of My House, Elijah Raises Widow's Son: Banah Ministries