"The Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the life of the child returned to him and he revived. Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house and gave him to his mother; and Elijah said, 'See, your son is alive.' Then the woman said to Elijah, 'Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.'" I Kings 17: 22-24
It's easy to lose faith when life becomes difficult and problems appear impossible. Elijah and a struggling single mom were very familiar with those circumstances. After King Ahab had turned his back on the One True God, the prophet Elijah went into hiding. While God took care of him and provided for his every need, it wasn't easy – especially when God told Elijah to head north into enemy territory and ask for food from a dirt poor single mom. Never the less, both Elijah and this single mom chose to step out in faith, trusting God to provide – and He did. Then true hardship arrived when the woman's son died. Yet Elijah's powerful prayers brought him back to life. So what does this story demonstrate about trusting God in tough times?
1.God uses the godly to proclaim God's Word. Elijah stood up to King Ahab when the king had encouraged the people to worship the idol Baal. When this forced Elijah to flee, he shared God's word with a struggling mother and her son; they were both blessed. Even when the son died, Elijah's trust in God brought him back to life. Elijah remained faithful and boldly trusted God even in the midst of incredibly difficult circumstances.
2.The greater the need, the greater the blessing. One of the lessons in the life of Elijah and the single mom is trust. God calls us to trust Him enough to put faith into action. Often, that's when we'll see just how incredible God's blessings can be.
3.Trusting God doesn't mean a problem-free life. Challenges and difficulties don't disappear simply because we trust God. Why? Because God wants us to grow. It's through life's ups and downs that God transforms us to look more like Jesus in spirit, character, and purpose.
Are you trusting in materialism or career more than God? Maybe you're holding onto a secret addiction, a secret sin that you just can't give up. Could it be that God is challenging you to trust in Him rather than in your things, your job or your wants? Put God FIRST and just like Elijah and the single mom, see how God shows up.
