God Chose the Widow Woman
[1Ki 17:8-9 KJV]
8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,
9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which [belongeth] to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
[1Ki 17:8-9 NIV]
8 Then the word of the LORD came to him:
9 “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.”
This morning I have a question. If you needed some money and you didn’t have any food, who would you go to, to ask for some money?
- A Friend who owns a Bank.
- A friend who has connections with The Government.
- A friend who is a Millionaire.
- A Broke Friend.
Or better yet. Not even a broke friend. Would you go to someone who is broke that you don’t even know.
Well, in this passage of scripture, we see God chose a widow who was broke and down to her last meal to take care of Elijah.
Here in this passage of scripture, we see Elijah was instructed by the Lord to go to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. God had directed a widow there to supply him with food.
Now I thought when God wanted to take care of the man of God, how come God didn’t choose a millionaire, The Government or even a bank?
Why would God choose a widow who was down to her last meal?
Well, I thought of a few reasons God may have chosen the Widow.
1. God wanted to bless the widow.
God knows that when you and I give, He will pour out a blessing upon our lives.
Maybe God chose to use the widow because he wanted to put here in a situation to get blessed. Even during a famine.
The Bible says, when you and I give God will pour out a blessing upon our lives.
It wasn’t a burden for the widow woman to give, but it was an opportunity for her to see the faithfulness of God.
Whether you and I have a little or a lot, it doesn’t stop God from being faithful to His Word and blessing us when we give.
He could have told God, why would you send me to someone to provide me with food, who is struggling to provide food for themselves.
Elijah could have felt sorry for the widow.
He could have said, it is ok. You don’t have to make me anything, I understand that you are not in a good financial state.
Even though God sent me here, maybe He didn’t see your financial situation before I came. So, it is ok. You don’t need to bake me a cake or give of anything that you have.
No. Even though the widow was in a tough situation. Elijah still challenges her to do what the Lord had commanded her to do.
Bake a small cake for me first.
Elijah knew that when the widow woman gave of what she had, God would pour out a blessing upon her and her family.
2. God wanted to use Elijah to heal her son.
Maybe God sent Elijah to the widow because He knew that her family would be in need and that Elijah would be used by God to meet that need.
There was a time when the little boy of the widow became ill and stopped breathing and God used Elijah to bring the boy back to life.
Now if God wouldn’t have sent Elijah to the widow, then her son may not have made it.
The cool thing is you and I can look at it like this.
The widow used what she had to bless Elijah and keep him alive during the famine for about 2 years.
Then the time came where what the widow kept alive was used by God to meet the needs of her Family.
The Widow Blessed Elijah, Elijah was kept alive, The Widows son became ill and Elijah who was kept alive by what the widow gave was used to bring her son back to life.
Let’s bring it home to you and me.
- You and I give to Run 4 Hope,
- churches and recovery homes are kept open,
- our Family, Friend or loved one has a need,
- what we established by our giving is now there for our Family, friends and loved one.
Who knows where the next church that we open or next recovery home that we open is going to impact or reach our family, friends or loved one.
It may be in Namibia
It may be in Congo
It may be in Zimbabwe
Who knows but God wants to use our giving to impact more lives.
3. God would get all the Glory.
Now the fact that God used a widow who had nothing to keep Elijah alive and provide for his needs during a famine, helps us to realize that God can meet all our needs no matter how the situation looks.
Not the Millionaire.
Not the Bank Owner.
Not the Government.
But only through the faithfulness of God.
No man could take the credit in the miracle of the jar of oil not running dry or the barrel of meal not running empty.
Because in the natural it wasn’t enough to meet the needs of the Widow, her Family and Elijah, but God came through.
Not the widows friend, not the banker, not the government, not the millionaire, but God Almighty.
So, it is when you and I give in the House of the Lord.
Even though we may not have all the money in the world, God gets all the Glory when He uses what we have to establish more churches and free recovery homes throughout the world.