I Kings 17:15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
Unlike Samuel, whose life we gradually see unfolding in the Bible, Elijah is a prophet who just bursts onto the scene. I Kings 17:1 says abruptly, “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab.” Elijah warned King Ahab, “As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” God was sending judgment and He was stopping the rain.
One must ask the question, “If there was drought where Ahab was living, was there not also drought where Elijah was living?” Yes, there was. God said to Elijah, “Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.” A widow woman would feed him.
This widow woman was Canaanite and of pagan upbringing, but she was suffering because of this drought. When Elijah found her, she was gathering two sticks with which to bake what little food she had left. She and her son were going to eat their last meal, then die. Yet Elijah had the gall to say, “Before you prepare your meal, would you first give me something to eat and drink?” She replied emphatically, “As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not…” She didn’t have anything!
Why would God be picking on a widow woman who had no food in order to provide for His prophet? Well, the Bible does not tell us why, but we can figure out why by what happened next. When she provided food and water for Elijah first, though she herself was very poor, Elijah said, “The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.” And this is exactly what happened. She, Elijah, and her son ate for many days.
So, was the woman providing for Elijah or was God providing for the woman? The truth is God gives through givers. He doesn’t give through rich people, connected people, or religious people. This woman was none of those things. She was a poor, Canaanite widow who was about to die, yet she was obedient. Because God gives through givers, He also provides for givers. In the end, God was providing for Elijah, but perhaps even more than providing for Elijah, God was providing for this widow woman.
How did God provide for a widow woman? He provided by sending someone to her who was in need. Now while that may be totally counterintuitive to our way of thinking, it is exactly the way God works. God wanted to provide for this woman so He sent a prophet in need. Why? Because when God gives through you, He also gives to you. Be a giver and you will be able to give.