00:00Hello, amazing friends, and welcome back to our storytime adventure.
00:05Today, we're going on a trip back in time, way, way back, to hear an incredible story
00:11about a prophet named Elijah.
00:13Now, Elijah was a special messenger for God, and he had some really big adventures.
00:19Are you ready?
00:20Let's dive in.
00:21Our story begins during a very tough time.
00:24There was a big famine in the land, which means there wasn't enough food for anyone.
00:28Imagine your pantry being completely empty, and the grocery stores too.
00:33That's what it was like.
00:34God told Elijah to go to a town called Zarephath.
00:38There, God said, a widow, a woman whose husband had passed away, would take care of him.
00:43So, Elijah walked all the way to Zarephath.
00:47When he got to the town gate, he saw a woman gathering sticks.
00:51He had a feeling this was the woman God told him about.
00:53He called out to her, could you please bring me a little water in a cup so I can have
00:58a drink?
00:59The woman was kind and started to go get him some water.
01:02As she was leaving, Elijah called out again, and could you please bring me a piece of bread too?
01:08This time, the woman stopped.
01:10Her shoulders slumped, and she looked very sad.
01:14She turned to Elijah and said, I swear by the Lord your God, I don't have any bread.
01:19All I have is a little bit of flour in a jar and a tiny bit of oil in a
01:23jug.
01:24I was just gathering a few sticks to go home and make one last meal for myself and my son.
01:29After we eat it, we will have nothing left.
01:32Wow, can you imagine how she must have felt?
01:35She was in a really difficult spot.
01:37But Elijah wasn't worried.
01:39He knew God had a plan.
01:41He looked at her with kindness and said, don't be afraid.
01:44Go home and do as you have said.
01:46But first, make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me,
01:51and then make something for yourself and your son.
01:54For this is what the Lord the God of Israel says,
01:56the jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry
02:01until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.
02:04The widow had a choice to make.
02:06It must have been scary to use the very last of her food to feed a stranger.
02:10But she saw something in Elijah's eyes.
02:12A deep trust in God.
02:14So, she chose to have faith.
02:17She went home and did exactly what Elijah had told her.
02:20And you know what happened?
02:21A miracle.
02:22Every single day, when she went to her flour jar, there was always enough flour.
02:27And every single day, when she went to her oil jug, there was always enough oil.
02:32Just as Elijah had promised, the flour and oil never ran out.
02:36She, her son, and Elijah had food to eat every day, all through the long famine.
02:41It was a wonderful sign of God's amazing love and care.
02:45He provided for them when it seemed impossible.
02:47This part of the story teaches us something so important.
02:51Even when things look really, really tough, trusting in God can lead to amazing things.
02:57The widow's small act of faith and obedience opened the door for a big miracle.
03:02But the story doesn't end there.
03:04Things were going well.
03:05But one day, something terrible happened.
03:08The widow's son, the boy she loved more than anything in the world, became very sick.
03:14He got sicker and sicker, until finally, he stopped breathing.
03:18His mom was heartbroken.
03:20Imagine the saddest you've ever felt, and multiply it by a million.
03:24That's how she felt.
03:25In her deep grief, she went to Elijah.
03:28She was so upset.
03:30She cried out.
03:31What do you have against me, men of God?
03:34Did you come here to remind me of my sin and kill my son?
03:37She was hurting so much, and she didn't understand why this was happening after they had seen such a great
03:43miracle with the food.
03:44Elijah's heart went out to her.
03:46He felt her pain deeply.
03:48He didn't get angry or defensive.
03:50Instead, with great compassion, he said softly,
03:54Give me your son.
03:55He gently took the boy from his mother's arms and carried him up to the room where he was staying.
04:01He laid the boy on his own bed.
04:02Then, Elijah did the only thing he knew to do in such a desperate moment.
04:07He cried out to God,
04:09Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to
04:15die.
04:16He was talking to God like a friend, sharing his confusion and his sorrow.
04:20And then, Elijah did something very unusual.
04:24He stretched himself out on the boy's body three times.
04:27Each time, he prayed with all his might,
04:30Lord my God, please, let this boy's life return to him.
04:34He wasn't just saying words.
04:36He was pouring his whole heart, his whole being, into this prayer.
04:40He believed with every part of him that God had the power over everything, even life and death.
04:46His prayer was full of faith, trust, and a deep, deep love for the boy and his mother.
04:52And then it happened.
04:53The most incredible miracle of all.
04:55The Lord heard Elijah's prayer.
04:57The boy took a breath.
04:58Then another.
04:59His life came back into him.
05:01He was alive.
05:02This was the very first time in the Bible that someone was brought back to life after they had passed
05:08away.
05:08It was a powerful demonstration of God's ultimate authority and his incredible compassion.
05:14Elijah carefully picked up the boy.
05:16Can you imagine the joy on his face?
05:18He carried him downstairs and back to his mother.
05:21He looked at her and said the most wonderful words she could ever hear.
05:25Look, your son is alive.
05:27The woman stared at her son, her eyes wide with disbelief and then overflowing with tears of joy.
05:34She hugged him tightly, feeling his warmth and hearing his breath.
05:39She then looked at Elijah, and her face was filled with awe and gratitude.
05:43She said,
05:44Now I know for sure that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from
05:49your mouth is the truth.
05:50She had seen the miracle of the flower and oil, but this, this was different.
05:56This was personal.
05:57This was the restoration of her greatest treasure.
06:00She didn't just believe Elijah was a prophet anymore.
06:03She knew it, deep in her heart.
06:05Her faith was made complete.
06:07What an amazing story, right?
06:09It shows us so many things.
06:11It shows us that God cares about our problems, big and small.
06:15It shows us that prayer is so, so powerful.
06:18Elijah didn't have any magical powers.
06:21He was just a person, like you and me.
06:24But he had a huge amount of faith, and he knew how to talk to God.
06:28His earnest, heartfelt prayers brought about real, life-changing miracles.
06:33This story also reminds us that even in our saddest and most difficult moments, God is with us.
06:39The widow's journey from scarcity to provision, and then from the deepest grief to the greatest joy, is a beautiful
06:46picture of God's love and power.
06:48He is a God of restoration.
06:50A God who can bring life and hope into situations that seem completely hopeless.
06:55So, whenever you feel scared, or sad, or like you're in a tough spot, remember the story of Elijah and
07:03the widow of Zarephath.
07:05Remember that faith, even a little bit, can move mountains.
07:09And remember that talking to God through prayer can connect you to his incredible power and love.
07:14Thanks for joining me on this incredible adventure today, friends.
07:18Don't forget to like this video and subscribe so you don't miss our next storytime adventure.
07:23See you next time and God bless.
