King Ahab was the king of the northern kingdom in Ancient Israel. He and his people had strayed very far from their faith in God. They put their faith in the worship of false idols. The prophet Elijah was raised up by God in order to confront King Ahab and to speak the truth as a spokesperson for God. Elijah prophesied that there would be a prolonged drought. Yet, God still provided for Elijah’s needs in these desperate times, even sending ravens to bring him food from out of the wilderness. God sent Elijah on a journey, where he met a widow and her son who were at the brink of starvation themselves. Yet, through Elijah, God provided the miracle of producing an endless supply of food from a small quantity of flour found in a jar. Elijah had supreme confidence in the Lord.
Elijah had followed God’s instructions to go into the wilderness. He believed that if he was faithful to God and followed his calling, that his life and his needs would be protected and provided for. Living in the house of a widow and her son who were one meal away from starvation, Elijah still did not waiver in his faith. Elijah’s relationship with God was based on trust. Our relationship with God must also be based on trust as well. I can imagine that Elijah, first in his solitude in wandering in the wilderness, and then in his life with the widow, voiced a prayer similar to the psalm for today. He must have pleaded with God to answer him and to relieve his distress. The Lord, in turn, did “do wonders” for Elijah. These wonders then, as well as today, may actually consist of allowing us to live another day through the provision of our daily bread. We can help others with their daily bread as well. We here at St Jude help out with the WHY NOT NOW ministry, helping the homeless in Jackson. May this remarkable story of Elijah inspire us today.
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