Friday, January 26, 2018

God acted. What is our response?

Read 1 Kings 17.

There are three acts of God recorded here with varying responses.

Even after the death of his two sons, proving the word of God to be accurate, King Ahab of Israel did not repent of his sin.  But God acted and sent the Prophet Elijah to announce that rain would be withheld for three years.  The drought was devastating to the entire nation.  Everyone suffered.

God instructed Elijah to cross the Jordan River and leave the country.  There God provided for him.  Next, God sent Elijah to Zarephath and have a widow take care of him.

The unnamed widow was destitute.  Due to the drought there were no crops which meant that food had become scarce.  To demand her to feed him seemed cruel.  But God acted to provide for her, her household and Elijah.  There is no recorded response from this widow to what the LORD had done for her...yet.

Then, her son died.  The widow's first reaction was guilt for her sin and that this death was a punishment.  But God acted to bring her son back to life.  Her words appear to reveal that prior to this she only observed what God had to say and what He did for her.  The light went on and faith became personal.  "Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth."

Ahab experienced the painful consequences of disobeying God's word and refused to repent.

The widow experienced God's blessings and showed no change.

The widow experienced a spiritual confrontation about her sin and she personally embraced God's word as truth.


God is at work throughout every day of our lives.  The question is: Are we paying attention to what God is doing throughout the day and responding obediently?

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