Every day someone’s making decisions that could be life changing, impacting the present and also the future. These life changing decisions we make began thousands of years ago. Thousands of years ago Adam and Eve decided to eat off the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil. This decision they made thousands of years ago still has an impact on us today. Pharaoh decided not to let the Israelite’s go when we has commanded by God and that decision not only cost him his life, but it also cost those closely connected to him their lives.
There are many more stories in the Bible just like this but there is one story I would like to focus on. It’s a story about a widow in Zarephath who had to make a tough decision. The decision that she faced was a life and death decision. The Lord sent the prophet Elijah to her so she could provide him water and bread. The issue with Elijah’s request though was the fact that she only had enough for herself and her son. God spoke through Elijah giving him specific instructions on what to tell this widow. Out of faith she listened to Elijah and received more food than she expected. Some time later this widow’s son became very sick and ill and finally stopped breathing. Elijah cries out in prayer over her son and God brings him back to life.
Now let’s think about her decision to become a selfless servant providing for Elijah needs above her own out of faith. What if she never decided to feed Elijah out of fear of her and her son dying? What if Elijah after being rejected by this widow moved on from Zarephath and her son still became sick? There’s a great possibility that she and her son would have died from starvation. There’s also a possibility that her son could have just died due to his illness. There’s also a good possibility that her faith never could have been tested and that she never would have grown in fellowship with the Lord. See her decision was life changing not only for her, but also for her son and they were blessed by it. See sometimes decisions we make aren’t always easy, but those difficult decisions we make sometimes provides the greatest blessings.
My family made a life changing decision that I would like to share. After a lot of prayer two years ago God put it own our heart to begin home-schooling our children. We knew this wouldn’t be an easy task but we stepped out in faith of obedience and it’s been a blessing. Well we recently had to make another life changing decision. After home-schooling for two years and the lack of pay raises due to the economy. After prayer and consulting with the LORD we decided to put our home that we have been living in the last nine years on the market in order for us to continue to do what we believe God has called us to do which is home-school our children. No, this wasn’t an easy decision and yes a life changing decision. But we believe God will bless us in the end for our obedience just like he did with the widow in Zarephath.
The Widows Story
1 Kings 17:8-24 New International Version (NIV)
8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”
12 “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”
13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”
15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.
17 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 18 She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”
19 “Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!”
22 The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!”
24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.”
I can’t miss this opportunity so if your reading this now and you don’t have a relationship with the Lord please don’t exit before doing so because Jesus wants to do something that you can’t do yourself and that is save you. If your willing to allow Jesus to become your personal savior say this prayer. Pray Lord I confess with my mouth that you are Lord and believe in my heart that you rose from the dead for my sins. I ask for forgiveness of my sins and ask that you come into my heart teaching me and guiding me in the way that I should live in Jesus name I pray Amen!!! If you said this prayer and you meant it from your heart you are now saved by the blood of Jesus!!
I encourage you to listen to the song below because it will bless you!!
McSellers Thought Of The Day 