“And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die” 1 Kings 17:10).
In Bible times, a widowed mom’s life wasn’t easy, especially if she was trying to finish raising a child or children. She didn’t have any visible means of support and this required her to be as resourceful as possible.
The preceding verses in 1 Kings 17 tell how the prophet Elijah had pronounced judgment (a drought) as he dealt with the evil Ahab. God was taking care of him making sure he had food and water. God was not too busy to look down and see a struggling widowed mom with a son during this time. God sent Elijah to Zarephath and would end up providing for, not only him, but for that mom and son as well.
Have you ever faced times you didn’t know where your next meal was coming from? As a mom, you hurt more for your kids. You would even do without to make sure they don’t go to bed hungry. The widowed mom felt a sense of desperation as she set out to make, what might very well be, the last meal she and her son would share. Along comes Elijah and asks of her to give him some water and bread. She was, at first, wondering what she should do. How was she going to handle her dilemma? If she granted Elijah’s request there wouldn’t be enough left to fix her last meal.
However, as an obviously godly woman, she listened to what Elijah had to say. He told her not to be afraid; if she granted his request God would send her a blessing. God sent him to her so He could sustain him. Those were not idle words given to this hopeless widow. By faith she did as Elijah instructed, and God indeed worked a miracle.
From that day until the drought ended she had an abundant supply of flour and oil. The widowed mom and her son were spared. What a happy scene that must have been.
Whatever you may be facing as a mom, trust God to meet every need. He will always come through for you (Philippians 4:19).
Sue Winchester
Missouri
PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for our Hispanic churches and our brothers and sisters in Mexico as they celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Pray also for churches in Tennessee that sustained flood damage this past weekend.
