When you examine your life at what times have you grown the most? Almost always people will answer this question by admitting that the greatest growth occurred in times of deep and unexpected suffering. Yet when suffering forces its way abruptly into our lives, our tendency is to believe that God has withdrawn His protection or worse yet, He has abandoned us when we need Him the most. Our confusion during these times stem from a lack of understanding of the role of pain and suffering in our lives. However if the truth be known, how we react in these painful times of crisis reveals much more about our faith than the months of ordinary living. God allows us to journey through these painful times to help us identify the weak spots in our lives so that we can begin to work to correct them. This truth is quite evident in the life of Elijah as he was staying with the widow in Zarephath. God was preparing Elijah to be His spokesman in a very pagan and evil culture. Delivering a message of gloom and doom has made him very unpopular with King Ahab. Probably the prediction of a severe drought as a result of the peoples’ worship of Baal did not help matters much. As a result Elijah has been on the run. God’s provision for Elijah was obvious during his stay in the Kerith Ravine. As the water dried up God sent Elijah to stay with a poor widow in Zarephath. All seemed well as God provided for them each day during the drought allowing the widows jar of oil and barrel of flour to be miraculously refilled on a daily basis. This widow at Zarephath, living in the heart of Baal worship, was impressed with Elijah’s God and quite thankful for Elijah’s presence. This would all change when life seems to come crashing down on both of them.
I. The widow’s home is suddenly struck by an unexpected tragedy.
A. When the tragedy struck the characters in our text provide us with a picture of some contrasting reactions.
1. While Elijah was in residence at the widow’s home, her son fell ill and died.
2. The woman immediately jumped to the conclusion that the prophet’s presence had drawn the attention of God to the sinfulness of her house.
3. Elijah also questions whether the Lord has repaid evil for good. Has the boy been spared hunger only to die from disease? Has God lost the ability to sustain life in the homeland of Baalism?
4. As the widow pelted Elijah with bitter words he kept his cool and held tightly to his faith in God.
B. All of us can understand the bitterness the widow felt as tragedy once again visits her life.
1. The widow interpreted the death of the child as retribution for sins which she reasoned would never have been noticed had Elijah left her alone.
2. What kind of cruel deceptive God would reward obedience with death? She was a widow, she had already experienced the sting of death, how much more did God think she could handle?
3. One of the most striking examples of bad theology is the idea that if you are suffering, it must be because you do not have enough faith or there is some secret sin in your life.
4. This is teaching is soundly refuted in Scripture.
5. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33—NIV)
6. Jesus did not promise that if we followed Him, we would be free of suffering. In reality as we have seen He promises just the opposite.
II. Elijah’s example serves as a great picture of how to answer tragedy with faith.
A. Elijah not only remained calm, he does not criticize the widow for her bitter reaction.
1. Elijah did not attack the widow for her faulty theology nor did he shower her with empty platitudes the she was not ready to hear.
2. When we go to pieces, when we shout, or when we have an anxiety attack in public we are not bringing glory to God. When we keep our cool in times of suffering we show our faith and honor God.
3. The hardest reality to accept is the fact that we have a very limited perspective. We lack the ability of knowing what circumstances in life are good or bad.
4. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28—NIV)
5. This verse does not advocate that when a tragedy strikes we should never hurt or cry, but if we believe these worlds we can face tragedy with the calm assurance that God is in control.
B. Elijah’s faith in the midst of uncertainty allows God to use him to demonstrate God’s life-giving power, his constant watchfulness, and his compassion even on those outside the boundaries of His chosen nation.
1. With calm confidence Elijah asked the desperate woman to give him the limp body of her son.
2. He took the child into his room where he laid him on his own bed. In mighty intercessory prayer the prophet cried out to God with a question. Had God repaid the kindness of this widow with such a blow?
3. Then in an “action prayer” the prophet stretched himself upon the child in order to keep the body warm for the expected return of life.
4. Three times Elijah repeated this “action prayer.” Each time he accompanied it with earnest plea that God would permit the child’s life to be restored. Yahweh heard that prayer of faith and breathed life back into the boy’s body.
5. The child revives because Yahweh hears Elijah’s plea, not because of the prophet’s prowess. Yahweh is God, not Baal, not Elijah.
C. Elijah did not take the credit for the miracle; he gave all the glory to God.
1. This event and Elijah’s actions come against some of the commonly held ideas of ninth-century-B.C. Palestine, a world of “witch doctors” and shamans. Yahweh is working through a prophet who mirrors cultural norms and expectations, yet Elijah is no magician. God is the only one with the power to bring the dead to life.
2. Notice that when the widow receives he son back alive from Elijah she does not praise his medical abilities, she praises God.
3. The miracle helps the woman know that Elijah is a man who represents and is sent by the Lord. She understands that the same God who provided the oil has provided life for her son. Baal may be dead, but Yahweh is not, nor is her son.
4. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16—NIV)
5. There was just something about Elijah’s character and conduct that brought glory to God.
III. Lessons that we can learn from Elijah.
A. In any situation, we cannot know if God will miraculously intervene or whether He expects us to learn certain lessons and accomplish certain things by our own efforts.
1. Elijah took the initiative to show God that He was willing to do anything it took to see that his prayer was answered.
2. I once heard a preacher say, “That we should pray as if everything depends upon God and work as if everything depends upon us.”
3. You cannot pray that God will make you healthy and then eat three meals everyday from McDonalds and let the only exercise you get be using the remote to change the channel. You need to try to eat right, exercise and get the proper amount of sleep.
4. You cannot just pray that God will help your church grow and impact the community and then never do anything and then blame the preacher when it does not happen.
5. You must be willing to sacrifice hours of time and personal financial resources, be willing to step out on faith and put forth a tremendous effort to make it happen.
B. When our life comes crashing down around us, do not panic; have faith in God and do what you can.
1. Regardless of who we are or the level of our commitment at some time or another we will experience life apparently crashing down around us.
2. Remember that the tragedy you are suffering is not a sign of personal sin, but evidence that you live in a fallen world.
3. When faced by situations like this do not panic. Do not blame God and become an angry resentful person. Do not let it make you bitter, let it make you better.
4. Like Elijah we must trust that God is true to His word that God in every situation is working for our good. We need to wait on God’s perfect timing.
5. We must heed a warning, do not sit back with your arms folded and do nothing. In case God chooses to use your efforts to His glory, make sure you are doing what you can.
This new clock was ticking away on the shelf two ticks to the second as any good, self-respecting clock should tick when it began to think about how many times it was going to have to tick. “Two ticks to the second means 120 ticks per minute,” it mused. “That’s 7200 ticks per hour, 172,800 ticks per day, 1,209,600 per week for 52 weeks, and a total of 62,899,200 per year.” Horrors! Straightway the clock had a nervous breakdown.
The clock was taken to a psychiatrist who patched up the mainspring as well as he could and then asked, “Clock, what’s your trouble?” “Oh, doctor,” wailed the clock, “I have to tick so much. I have to tick two ticks a second and 120 ticks per minute and 7200 ticks per hour, and.” “Hold it,” the psychiatrist cut in, “How many ticks do you have to tick at a time?” “Oh, I just have to tick one tick at a time,” was the reply. “Then let me make a suggestion,” replied the doctor. “You go home and try ticking one tick at a time. Don’t even think about the next tick until it’s time. Just tick one tick at a time. That you can do.”
Faith is ticking one tick at a time. Knowing that God will give us strength for the next tick. According to I Peter 1:8 we can have a “joy inexpressible.” Yet just like those oppressed and persecuted Christians to whom Peter was writing, we need to remember that this joy will never come through external stimuli, only through our internal mind set—one of faith—one of ticking one tick at a time, knowing that God will give us strength for the next tick.
