Stories of Strength Through Pain in the BibleSample

Day 6 | The Widow of Zarephath

When the pressure is on, the deadline is closing in, the bills are piling up, it’s easy to cut corners. Just fudge the timecard to get a few extra dollars. Just drive a little over the speed limit to save time. Just hold the money a little tighter until things settle down. But that's not how God calls us to live. God wants us to have faith, and to keep choosing the right thing even when times are hard.

Obedience is one way we can demonstrate our faith. Our salvation is not based on what we do or don’t do. We are saved through what Jesus Christ did for us. This is by faith, “so none of us can boast about it.” (Ephesians 2:10) But if we truly believe that God works everything for the good of those who love him, that he is faithful and loving, and that we have a reason to praise him, then that leads us to trust him and do what he asks.

The story of the widow in 1 Kings shows us what it looks like to act in faith by obeying God. Widows were poor in biblical times, and the widow we read about in this story is using the last of her ingredients at home to cook a meal for herself and her son - a meal that might be their last. So when Elijah asks her for food and she decides, in obedience, to use her dwindling supply to prepare a meal for him, she's demonstrating faith that God will provide for her and her son.

Because of her faith, God gives her just enough for that day's meal. And each day that she continued to faithfully provide food for the prophet, he gave her just enough again. If she hadn't believed, if she hadn't had faith, they would have missed out on God's blessing and died of starvation. But because she chose obedience, God was faithful to provide exactly what she needed.

When we face difficult circumstances, there is always a right way and a wrong way to handle it. Do you have faith that God is faithful, loving, and merciful? Then do what he has told you to do: live with integrity, honesty, love, kindness, and generosity. You may not yet have the answer of how to change the circumstances, but God’s wisdom applies in every circumstance. Can you have faith today, and obey today?