Day 133

Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath

1 Kings 17:8–18

Since Elijah had no water, God told him, “Go and live in Zarephath. I’ve told a widow there to feed you.” So Elijah journeyed to Zarephath. He found the widow near the gate gathering firewood.

“Bring me a little water,” he asked. As the widow went for water, Elijah called to her again. “Bring me a bit of bread as well.”

The widow answered, “I am about to bake bread. Then all my flour and oil will be gone. My son and I will eat it, lie down, and die.”

“First make bread for me,” Elijah said. “The God of Israel says this: ‘Your flour and oil will last until rain comes again.’ ” The widow believed him. The jar that held her flour was never empty. The jug of oil didn’t run out. This happened exactly as Elijah had said it would.

But then the widow’s son got sick. His illness became worse and worse until he stopped breathing. “What do you have against me, O man of God?” she cried. “Did you come to remind me of my sin? Are you here to cause my son’s death?

Questions: What did the widow give Elijah? What happened to her son?