- On December 29th, 2000 during the middle of the afternoon 34 year (anonymous name), a father, husband, son, friend took his own life. Many of you knew him, and loved him. And even if you didn’t know him, the question is still on your mind about such an unfortunate incident... why? I remember sitting through the funeral, asking myself why?
- Have you ever asked that question before? Have you ever looked to the heavens and asked why? Have you ever laid in your bed with the lights turned off, all alone and asked why? Sure you have, we all have, we all will again. Because sometimes in life things happen, things out of our control, and when those things happen, we are left with nothing but questions. And sometimes there are answers to those questions, and often there are no answers... and all we are left with is the question... why?
- Well, once upon a time, there was a certain widow from a place called Zarephat who was asking the same question. We don’t know her name, but we can read about her in I Kings 17. And in I Kings 17, we read that she is from a place just north of the Northern Kingdom. You’ll remember from last week that Elijah, who we will be looking at over the next few weeks is a prophet to the people of the Northern Kingdom, to the people of Israel. And you’ll also remember that the King of the Northern Kingdom is the wicked and evil King Ahab. And it is Elijah who went to this wicked King and delivered a message from God. And the message was simple, but deadly... "Over the next few years, there will be neither dew nor rain." And upon giving that word, that message, God sends Elijah into seclusion where food is given to him by the ravin, and water is provided by the brook.
- But then, in verse 7 of chapter 17, we read that the brook Elijah was drinking from dried up due to the lack of rain. And so it was time for Elijah to leave, and where would God send him. He would send him to the Gentile region called Zarephat where he would meet a certain widow who would provide for him. We read about their encounter in verses 8 through 16.
- And in those verses we read that Elijah was to go up to this widow and ask for some water to drink which she was more than willing to provide. But then, he asks her for some bread to eat. But, this would be a problem. And she responds to his request by saying... vs 12.
- But Elijah assures her to not be afraid, to go home and to make some bread and the Lord will provide for not only her, and not only himself, but also for her son. So she trusted and she went and made some bread, and the Lord provided food for them all. vs 15-16
- It certainly was an odd way for the Lord to provide for Elijah. Widows, during his day were as low as it gets when it comes to economic levels. They had to solely depend on the charity of others to survive. Charity was their only source of income. And yet, here is Elijah depending on her charity to survive. But sometimes the Lord provides in unusual ways, doesn’t he?
- Reminds me of the often told story of a man who found himself stuck in a terential rain storm. Eventually, the flood waters began to rise, and so the man went out on his porch and called on God to provide a way for him to escape the flood waters. Along came a boat, but the man told the captain of the boat that he was waiting on the Lord to provide a way out. And so the flood waters kept rising, so the man climbed to the top of his roof and waited for the Lord to provide an escape. Along came a helicopter, but the man told the pilot he was waiting for the Lord to provide for him. The waters were at his feet, and he kept waiting for the Lord to provide. Along came an airplane, but the man refused and said he would wait on the Lord. Well, the man drowned in the water and stood before the Lord almighty.
- And the man said to the Lord, why didn’t you rescue me from the water. I prayed for your protection, and you never answered my prayer.
- Well, obviously the Lord had provided a way. It just wasn’t a way he was expecting. But often God does this. Often when we are busy asking why? Why did this happen? Why did you allow this to take place? We miss God’s comforting hand. We miss his protection, his love, his peace. Elijah was being provided for in an unusual manner. But it was all a part of the teaching process, the learning process. God was teaching Elijah to trust in Him, no matter the situation and no matter the circumstance.
- But listen to what happens next. This is what I really want us to focus on. Look at verses 17 through 24. Because it is in those verses that we will see a widow asking why? Just as we so often do, this widow that the Lord used to provide for Elijah would be asking why? Listen to what happens...
- What a powerful scene. It’s a picture of a woman in distress. Who has just lost her only son. Who is asking why? Why has this happened? And along comes Elijah, a man of God, who picks the child up and in a moment of total surrender and humility, Elijah covers the boy up with his body and calls on the Lord to deliver him.
- And the Scripture says this... "The Lord heard Elijah’s cry." What strikes me about this story is the fact that Elijah too was asking why? Just like the mother who had lost her son, Elijah questioned God’s actions... "O Lord my God have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?" Elijah was asking why, but while he was asking the questions, he remembered who he was asking. Elijah remembered that he was asking the great God of impossibilities, the question why.
- The same God who sent food from heaven, the same God who provided an unlimited amount of bread and water. But in the midst of his asking, Elijah didn’t forget who he was asking. He remembered that he was calling on a God who specializes in impossible situations. As Chuck Swindoll says, "He was calling on a God who does what we cannot do."
Jeremiah 32:17 "Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you."
Jeremiah 32:27 "I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?"
Luke 1:37 "For nothing is impossible with God."
Luke 18:27 Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
- You see often in life, we will find ourselves in a place where we are left with nothing but questions. The loss of a loved one, the sickness of a child, the loss of a job, and when we are there we may turn our eyes towards the heavens and wander if God is aware of our situation. Will he provide a way out, will he give us the strength to make it through this one? And we wonder why God would put us in this impossible situation?
- But, if we are to be men and women of God, people who live by faith and not by sight, then it means we never forget that our God is a God who can do the impossible. A God who can in all things work for the good of those who love him (Rom 8:28). A God who made it possible for you and I to be saved. Our God is a God of impossibilities. And so while we are asking why, God is answering a different question. The question he is answering is... how will this turn out for my glory? How will I use even this situation for my good? How will my name be glorified even now?
- The widow of our story was asking why? Elijah was asking why? And God was answering how? And the answer God gives is found in verse 24... "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth." How would God use the death of this boy for good? How would God work this out for his glory? He would demonstrate to this widow and to all of Israel... that he is Lord. He is Lord of heaven and earth, He is Lord of life and of death.
- In 92 when my father passed away, I remember I was overcome with many questions aimed at God. I had a hard time understanding why he would allow such a thing to happen at that point in my life. But, God would provide strength for me. His strength came in many forms, but one way he provided strength was through a piece of posterboard. You see my dad died just a couple days before my hs graduation, so I was unable to attend the graduation practice or any of the events surrounding the occasion. Well, at the practice on the day of my graduation, almost all of my classmates signed their name and wrote a little message on this giant card which a friend presented to me that day.
- And as I read through each of those messages on the card, I knew God was going to give me the strength to make it through even this trial. I knew that God would be with me every step of the way, as long as I chose to be with him. I was still asking why, but slowly over time, I have come to ask a better question. Because the answer to why may never be answered, but when I ask how... how will you use this for your good? That is a question God can answer every time.
- So whenever you find yourself facing a difficult circumstance and situation, think of Elijah and the widow who lost her son... and instead of asking why... ask how God? How?
