The widow at Zarephath heart -- what does your actions say about your heart?
Do you ever wish that your Christian walk were better? I often do. I have many friends who have shared with me for years their daily Bible reading. I have tried to be consistent in my Bible reading, but truth be told I am not. I can go for weeks and months being consistent in my daily reading, then something always seems to capture my attention causing my reading to go by the way-side. Sometimes its the kids getting into activities which pulls me in various directions, or I get in the mode of "tiredness" which at times causes me to stop reading for days.
I do pray daily. I like it better when I bend the knee and pray {which I tried to do throughout my day}. I especially love the days when I have those lingering talks with my Father. On some days depending on how well I have planned my schedule, or better yet, how well I adhere to the schedule I have to whisper heart-felt talks on the run.
Happily—today is one of those days I am able to sit in bed and talk to the Father. It's early morning, and I am sitting in my bed scribbling in my tablet, Bible resting in my lap. The only sounds are my pen and wrist moving across the paper and my beloved husband breathing {I like hearing him breathe too}.
I'm reading about "The widow at Zarephath," which is in 1 Kings 17. Before I share with you my "thoughts" on what I read, I want to say that I did not study this passage. No commentaries have been pulled out and read. This is my observation only! I've done this for years ... wrote my Bible reading out. Til now, me becoming a blogger, my readings were kept private in my journals. Today, however, I've chose to share what my thoughts are and what I noticed with you.
So, I sat in bed reading, and immediately this verse caught my attention ... put questions in my mind.
"And bring me, please, a piece of bread." He asks her. (vs. 11)
But she replies, "And surely as the LORD your God lives, I don't have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little 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." (vs. 12)
Then Elijah says to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says, 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jar of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land. '" (vss.13-14)
Question ???
Do you think you would have believed the words of God coming from Elijah?
How impress I am when I read, "She went away and did as Elijah had told her." (vs.15 on)
I can't say for certainty that I would have or that I wouldn't. I honestly don't know.
Suddenly though I am taken aback a bit by her words after her son dies from an illness? She says to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?" What sin? The sin of not providing financially for her son? It is my belief that back in those days most women didn't provide financially for their household. They relied on their husband, and when he died they remarried. And if I am right, I thought they remarried the next available man in their family ... sort of like a "Kinsman Redeemer" such as Boaz was to Ruth??? I am not sure, and these are the questions that I am rolling around in my head at 3 am.
Next I begin to wonder if her sin is really that she didn't believe. When I first read the passage above I assumed she believed because her actions moved that way. She followed His instructions.
But how many times as a parent do I have to tell my children to straighten their countenance when doing something that I've instructed. Yes, they do it, but it's written all in their body language and in their facial expressions that they don't want to. When this occurs with them, I make them do it again ... whatever it is that I've asked, or I may give them extra work until I am sure their hearts have become right. How do I know? Their body language is totally different. Softer.
Could it be that's why God took the ladies son? Is this how he showed her the condition of her own heart? Her own unbelief? Sometimes it takes the ugly-situations to cause us to peer at our situations from a different perspective. Is this what changed her perspective, a little tilting of the head,? Is this what made her eyes really open to who Elijah really was ... that he is indeed a man of God? Scanning through the pages we would believe that she did believe. She not only called him, Man of God," but she followed his insturctions. I wonder what was her tone of voice when responding? Was it sarcastic—flippid even? And why does she think he has something against her? Is it because one bad thing after another is happening to her, and in her frustration she is crying out like so many of us do, "Why Lord, why?"
I don't have the answers to the questions, only my opinions. And my opinion from what I read, and how I am understanding what I've read makes me think there may have been a bit of unbelief going on with her. Look at her responds to Elijah when her son is revived,"Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth."
I do pray daily. I like it better when I bend the knee and pray {which I tried to do throughout my day}. I especially love the days when I have those lingering talks with my Father. On some days depending on how well I have planned my schedule, or better yet, how well I adhere to the schedule I have to whisper heart-felt talks on the run.
Happily—today is one of those days I am able to sit in bed and talk to the Father. It's early morning, and I am sitting in my bed scribbling in my tablet, Bible resting in my lap. The only sounds are my pen and wrist moving across the paper and my beloved husband breathing {I like hearing him breathe too}.
I'm reading about "The widow at Zarephath," which is in 1 Kings 17. Before I share with you my "thoughts" on what I read, I want to say that I did not study this passage. No commentaries have been pulled out and read. This is my observation only! I've done this for years ... wrote my Bible reading out. Til now, me becoming a blogger, my readings were kept private in my journals. Today, however, I've chose to share what my thoughts are and what I noticed with you.
So, I sat in bed reading, and immediately this verse caught my attention ... put questions in my mind.
"And bring me, please, a piece of bread." He asks her. (vs. 11)
But she replies, "And surely as the LORD your God lives, I don't have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little 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." (vs. 12)
Then Elijah says to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says, 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jar of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land. '" (vss.13-14)
Question ???
Do you think you would have believed the words of God coming from Elijah?
How impress I am when I read, "She went away and did as Elijah had told her." (vs.15 on)
I can't say for certainty that I would have or that I wouldn't. I honestly don't know.
Suddenly though I am taken aback a bit by her words after her son dies from an illness? She says to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?" What sin? The sin of not providing financially for her son? It is my belief that back in those days most women didn't provide financially for their household. They relied on their husband, and when he died they remarried. And if I am right, I thought they remarried the next available man in their family ... sort of like a "Kinsman Redeemer" such as Boaz was to Ruth??? I am not sure, and these are the questions that I am rolling around in my head at 3 am.
Next I begin to wonder if her sin is really that she didn't believe. When I first read the passage above I assumed she believed because her actions moved that way. She followed His instructions.
But how many times as a parent do I have to tell my children to straighten their countenance when doing something that I've instructed. Yes, they do it, but it's written all in their body language and in their facial expressions that they don't want to. When this occurs with them, I make them do it again ... whatever it is that I've asked, or I may give them extra work until I am sure their hearts have become right. How do I know? Their body language is totally different. Softer.
Could it be that's why God took the ladies son? Is this how he showed her the condition of her own heart? Her own unbelief? Sometimes it takes the ugly-situations to cause us to peer at our situations from a different perspective. Is this what changed her perspective, a little tilting of the head,? Is this what made her eyes really open to who Elijah really was ... that he is indeed a man of God? Scanning through the pages we would believe that she did believe. She not only called him, Man of God," but she followed his insturctions. I wonder what was her tone of voice when responding? Was it sarcastic—flippid even? And why does she think he has something against her? Is it because one bad thing after another is happening to her, and in her frustration she is crying out like so many of us do, "Why Lord, why?"
I don't have the answers to the questions, only my opinions. And my opinion from what I read, and how I am understanding what I've read makes me think there may have been a bit of unbelief going on with her. Look at her responds to Elijah when her son is revived,"Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth."
Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. ~ Proverbs 4:23
Comments
Post a Comment
Hi, thanks for visiting :-)