Grasp the Gospel — Bible Comprehension Quizzes

1 Kings 17 Devotional

Provision from Unlikely Hands

“The jar of flour was not exhausted and the jug of oil did not run dry, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Elijah.”1 Kings 17:16 (BSB)

Elijah steps into the story announcing a drought in the LORD's name (17:1). Then God hides him. By the brook Cherith, ravens bring him bread and meat morning and evening (17:6). When the brook dries up, God sends him outside Israel, to a widow in Zarephath of Sidon (17:9). She is down to a handful of flour and a little oil, gathering sticks for a last meal with her son (17:12). The LORD promises that the jar and jug will not run out, and there is food every day (17:14-16).

God provides through the unlikeliest means: birds and a starving foreign widow. And when her son dies, Elijah cries out, and the LORD gives the boy his life back (17:22). Jesus later pointed to this very widow, reminding his hometown that Elijah was sent to her rather than to any widow in Israel (Luke 4:25-26). God's care crosses every border. He may give only today's portion, but the God who kept her jar from emptying knows what you need.

To think about: Where do you need to trust God for today's portion, rather than demanding to see the whole supply in advance?

About 1 Kings 17: Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath

Elijah tells Ahab that no rain will fall until he says so, and ravens feed him by a brook. God then sends him to a widow in Zarephath, whose flour and oil last through the famine. When her son dies, Elijah prays, the boy revives, and she confesses that Elijah speaks the LORD's word.

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