“Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so serious that there was no breath left in him.”
1 Kings 17:17

Elijah had hidden himself in the presence of the Lord, and the result was that he saw the provision of God working for him as the ravens fed him daily. Then he experienced the privilege of being used by the Lord to touch the life of the widow of Zarephath, illustrating to her God’s sustaining grace. Now her only son was deathly sick, and she turned to Elijah, saying, “What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?” She poured out her heart to the man of God. We hear her deep pain and feel with her in her loss. What could possibly be done now that her son was dead? There was no breath left in him.

Elijah had hidden himself alone with God, and we see another result of that time well spent. First, we see him demonstrating compassion during this time of crisis. He takes her son to the upper room and pours out his heart to the Lord, displaying confidence in his God by stretching himself out over the boy and praying, “O LORD my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.” Elijah demonstrates resurrection power.

Through Elijah, the man who had hidden himself, God would declare Himself not only to be the Giver of Life, but also the Giver of Life who could do what no person could ever do: defeat death.

Elijah’s God was more powerful than the widow knew. He was the provider of more than a few handfuls of flour and oil. He was all-sufficient, more than enough. In the face of such a miracle, she looked at Elijah and could only say, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth” (1 Kings 17:24).

Elijah experienced what Paul desired to see in his own life: “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Philippians 3:10).

Anchor For Today:
The power of God can be displayed through us when we hide ourselves in His presence!