00:00Hey everyone, welcome back to our channel. Today, we're going on an amazing adventure back in time to a place
00:07called Zarephath.
00:08Imagine a land where it hasn't rained for a very, very long time. The ground is dry and dusty, and
00:15there's not much food to eat.
00:16This is where we meet a brave prophet named Elijah. God told Elijah to go to Zarephath, even though it
00:22was a tough place to be, because someone there would help him.
00:25So Elijah trusted God and started his journey. When he arrived at the city gate, he saw a woman gathering
00:32sticks.
00:32This woman was a widow, which means her husband had passed away, and she was raising her son all by
00:38herself.
00:39Life was already hard for them, and with the famine, it was even harder. Elijah was thirsty and hungry from
00:45his long walk, so he called out to her.
00:47Could you please bring me a little water and a cup to drink? The woman was kind and immediately turned
00:53to get him some water.
00:54As she was going, Elijah called out again, and please, bring me a piece of bread too. This is where
01:00the story gets really interesting.
01:02The woman stopped and turned back to Elijah. Her voice was probably a little shaky as she explained her situation.
01:09She told him, I don't have any bread at all. All I have left is a tiny bit of flour
01:14in a jar and a little bit of olive oil in a jug.
01:17She explained that she was gathering a few sticks to go home and make one last, very small meal for
01:23herself and her son.
01:24After they ate it, they expected they would have nothing left. Can you imagine how scared and worried she must
01:30have felt?
01:31She was at her absolute lowest point, with just enough for one final meal. It was a moment of complete
01:37desperation.
01:38But Elijah wasn't discouraged. He looked at her with kindness and spoke with confidence.
01:43He said, don't be afraid. What powerful words. Even when things seem scary, we can choose not to be afraid.
01:51He then gave her a very specific instruction. He said, go home and do as you have said.
01:57But first, make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me.
02:01And then make something for yourself and your son.
02:04This sounds like a crazy request, right? A stranger asks for the very last bit of food you have.
02:11You'd probably think, no way. I need this for my family.
02:15It took a lot of courage for the widow to even listen. She had a choice to make.
02:19She could either hold on tightly to the little she had, driven by fear, or she could trust the strange
02:25promise from this man of God.
02:27Elijah then told her something that would change everything.
02:30He shared a promise directly from God. He said, for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says.
02:36The jar of flour will not be used up, and the jug of oil will not run dry, until the
02:41day the Lord sends rain on the land.
02:43Wow, that's a huge promise, an endless supply of flour and oil.
02:47It sounded impossible, but it was a promise from God himself.
02:50The widow had to decide. Trust her fear, which told her to save her last meal.
02:55Or trust God's promise, which told her she would be provided for.
03:00Her initial fear started to transform into a tiny spark of faith.
03:04Maybe, just maybe, this prophet was telling the truth.
03:08Maybe God really could do a miracle.
03:10This encounter shows us that faith isn't just about believing.
03:14It's about taking action, even when it's scary.
03:17And guess what she did?
03:18She did exactly what Elijah had asked.
03:20She went home, took her last little bit of flour and oil, and made a small cake of bread for
03:26him first.
03:27This was a huge act of faith and obedience.
03:30She chose to trust God's word, delivered through Elijah, over her own understanding of her desperate situation.
03:37She put God first, even before her own needs and the needs of her son.
03:41What happened next was truly a miracle.
03:44After she gave the bread to Elijah, she went to make food for herself and her son.
03:48And just as Elijah had promised, the flour jar was not empty.
03:53And the oil jug was not empty either.
03:56Day after day, she would go to her jar and jug.
03:59And there would always be enough flour and oil to make bread for her, her son, and Elijah.
04:05The Bible says this miracle continued for the entire time until the famine ended and rain finally came back to
04:11the land.
04:12This wasn't a one-time thing, it was a daily provision.
04:15Every single day, God provided just what they needed for that day.
04:19This teaches us to rely on God daily, trusting that he knows what we need and that his timing is
04:25perfect.
04:26God didn't just fill her pantry once, he showed his faithfulness over and over again.
04:31This amazing story from the scriptures teaches us so many lessons.
04:35It shows us that God can take our not enough and turn it into more than enough.
04:40The widow only had a little, but when she gave it to God in faith, he multiplied it in a
04:45way she could never have imagined.
04:47Her small act of faith led to a huge blessing that saved her family.
04:51It also shows us that obedience is key.
04:54When the widow obeyed God's instruction through Elijah, the door to a miracle swung wide open.
04:59Her obedience unlocked God's provision.
05:02Sometimes, what God asks us to do might not make sense to us, but trusting and obeying him can lead
05:08to incredible outcomes.
05:10It's about recognizing that God's power goes way beyond our human limitations.
05:15This story also speaks about finding courage in the middle of our biggest fears.
05:19The widow was facing the worst-case scenario, but her trust in God helped her overcome that fear.
05:25Her faith made her resilient.
05:27Instead of being paralyzed by her difficult situation, she found the strength to act.
05:33Ziraphoth, the place of famine and struggle, became a place of purification and miracles for her.
05:39It was a place where her weakness made space for God's incredible strength to show up.
05:44And isn't it amazing that even when she was in her own personal struggle, she was asked to help someone
05:49else.
05:49She was at her lowest, yet she was given the opportunity to reach out and help the prophet Elijah.
05:55This reminds us that we can still be a blessing to others, even when we feel like we don't have
06:00much to give.
06:02Sometimes, helping others is the very thing that opens us up to receive our own miracle.
06:07Her journey is a powerful example of how trusting God can completely transform our circumstances.
06:12What started as a story of scarcity and desperation turned into a story of abundance and faithfulness.
06:19The obstacle of the famine became an opportunity for her to experience God's miraculous power and grow her faith like
06:26never before.
06:27It teaches us that when we face desperate times, those are the moments where God's faithfulness can shine the brightest.
06:33So, what can we take away from the widow of Ziraphoth first?
06:37Trust in God's provision, especially when you feel like you don't have enough.
06:41He is our provider.
06:43Second, small acts of faith can lead to great blessings.
06:47You don't need to have it all figured out, just take that first step of trust.
06:51And finally, let your faith be bigger than your fear.
06:55Embrace the courage that comes from trusting God, and watch as he turns your obstacles into opportunities.
07:01Her story reminds us that with God, a little can go a long, long way.
07:06Thank you so much for joining me today to explore this incredible story of faith and miracles.
07:11I hope it encouraged you as much as it encourages me.
07:14If you liked this video, don't forget to give it a thumbs up, subscribe to our channel, and hit that
07:20notification bell so you won't miss our next adventure.
07:23See you next time, and God bless.
