The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 17:24,
"Then the woman [the widow of Zarephath] said to Elijah, 'Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.'"
This comment from the widow of Zarephath was her response to Elijah when he presented her dead son back to her alive. Elijah had cried out to the Lord to restore the son's life on behalf of the widow.
I find her observation somewhat remarkable. It is an expression of her faith, "Now I know...". What is remarkable is that she had already expressed an astonishing faith in the working of the Lord through Elijah. She demonstrated that in her giving Elijah bread from all the flour and oil she had, before preparing her and her son's own bread to eat. Her decision was based on the word of the Lord that the flour and oil would not give out, no matter how much it appeared likely to do so by what she saw in the jar.
On top of this, she witnessed this miraculous continual flow of flour and oil for a time! "So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah." 1 Kings 17:15-16.
Yet, it was "Some time later", verse 17, that the woman's son died and was brought back to life by the Lord through Elijah. And now, at this later time she says, "Now I know..."! She confesses she now knew Elijah was a man of God and that "the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth." Yet, look at all she had already been exposed to, and also how she had manifested a very real living faith when she gave what she thought was all she had to feed Elijah before her boy and herself!
I can't help but see in this that faith is a daily thing. I don't mean to convey the notion that saving faith comes and goes, as some mistakenly think we can lose and regain our salvation from day to day. I don't mean to imply that at all. The Scriptures are very clear that saving faith brings us an eternally secured salvation, once for all, at one given time.
However, our faith, as people of God, appears to ebb and flow. Strong one day and not so strong at another time. Paul refers to God giving people who have already been saved by faith, a special "gifting" of faith at times, "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you." Romans 12:3. Abraham, our example of faith, expressed a strong faith at times and not so strong at others, e.g. when he lied, or misrepresented Sarah to the king of Egypt because he feared for his life. David is another man of strong faith, yet he counted his fighting men in a demonstration of a lack of faith in God's ability to bring the victory.
If anything, the account of the widow of Zarephath reminds me that while faith has provided me a place in God's kingdom for eternity, the daily faith (if I can refer to it that way) that I order my life by is a daily issue. While yesterday's faith brought me salvation, I have to live my life of faith today based on my complete trust in the Lord today - yesterday's simply won't do.
"Then the woman [the widow of Zarephath] said to Elijah, 'Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.'"
This comment from the widow of Zarephath was her response to Elijah when he presented her dead son back to her alive. Elijah had cried out to the Lord to restore the son's life on behalf of the widow.
I find her observation somewhat remarkable. It is an expression of her faith, "Now I know...". What is remarkable is that she had already expressed an astonishing faith in the working of the Lord through Elijah. She demonstrated that in her giving Elijah bread from all the flour and oil she had, before preparing her and her son's own bread to eat. Her decision was based on the word of the Lord that the flour and oil would not give out, no matter how much it appeared likely to do so by what she saw in the jar.
On top of this, she witnessed this miraculous continual flow of flour and oil for a time! "So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah." 1 Kings 17:15-16.
Yet, it was "Some time later", verse 17, that the woman's son died and was brought back to life by the Lord through Elijah. And now, at this later time she says, "Now I know..."! She confesses she now knew Elijah was a man of God and that "the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth." Yet, look at all she had already been exposed to, and also how she had manifested a very real living faith when she gave what she thought was all she had to feed Elijah before her boy and herself!
I can't help but see in this that faith is a daily thing. I don't mean to convey the notion that saving faith comes and goes, as some mistakenly think we can lose and regain our salvation from day to day. I don't mean to imply that at all. The Scriptures are very clear that saving faith brings us an eternally secured salvation, once for all, at one given time.
However, our faith, as people of God, appears to ebb and flow. Strong one day and not so strong at another time. Paul refers to God giving people who have already been saved by faith, a special "gifting" of faith at times, "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you." Romans 12:3. Abraham, our example of faith, expressed a strong faith at times and not so strong at others, e.g. when he lied, or misrepresented Sarah to the king of Egypt because he feared for his life. David is another man of strong faith, yet he counted his fighting men in a demonstration of a lack of faith in God's ability to bring the victory.
If anything, the account of the widow of Zarephath reminds me that while faith has provided me a place in God's kingdom for eternity, the daily faith (if I can refer to it that way) that I order my life by is a daily issue. While yesterday's faith brought me salvation, I have to live my life of faith today based on my complete trust in the Lord today - yesterday's simply won't do.
To glorify my God today, I have to embrace him in total faith and trust today.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
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