Elijah and the Widow of Zeraphath (Part 1)

There is both a natural and spiritual component in the encounter between Elijah and the widow of Zeraphath.
God uses natural things we understand to illustrate spiritual principles. In the natural, it was a time of famine, and the widow had a little flour and little oil.
The supernatural part is that the flour represents the bread of life, which is the Word, and the oil represents the Holy Spirit. The widow had a little understanding of the Word and the Holy Spirit, but Elijah had the Word of God and the Spirit. The Widow needs supernatural bread and oil and Elijah needs natural bread and oil.

Ponder 1 Corinthians 9:11 (NKJV): If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?

Obedience brings life, both spiritual and natural. The widow gives what she has, and God multiplies it. Elijah gives what he has and, God multiplies it

1 Kings 17:15 (NKJV) says, “So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days.“
THEY ate for many days. So it is possible that Elijah was teaching the widow the Word all those days and really to me this a picture of the body of Christ at work. The widow lacks teaching of spiritual bread, the Word, and the prophet lacks natural bread. So they supply each other through obedience to what God tells them.

The principle is that I give out what I have and God multiplies it, and a good example is the feeding of the 5000. Here, Jesus says to them, YOU feed them…that’s YOU and ME.
They ate as much as they wanted and they were free. They ate as much as they wanted and they were filled and had leftovers.

An important scripture to remember is Matthew 6:33. Seek Him First.  If we obey Him then He provides.  But we have to expect his guidance and he may not come the way you expect or from sources you expect.

In the beginning, the widow had fear and we know that fear is unproductive.  So we always have to stay in faith. And how do we do that? Faith comes by hearing the Word (Romans 10:17), not just hearing it but doing it.  In the times of economic famine, it is important to be committed to tithing because that’s a basic principle of God. So, if you don’t have money you begin to work where you are toward tithing. God knows your heart.

Don’t forget to run to God first with every challenge.  When the widow’s son died, she ran to the man of God who had life. He had the Word of God, the bread of life, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  So, we give out what we have, his word and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and then he pours more into me the Word of God, which is Jesus the bread of life. Remember there is a never ending supply of the Word.

The world needs the Word of God, Jesus. I must do my part by sharing his word with the world.