“What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God?” (Kings 17:18)

In 1 Kings 17:9-16, the writer records the miracle that God performed through the widow of Zarephath as she believed God’s promise. She took her last food and gave it to Elijah, based upon the fact that Elijah had promised that God would sustain her and her son, in that the barrel of meal would not waste, neither should the cruse of oil fail until the famine be over. Then in Verse 17, the widow’s son got sick and died. In verse 15, she was a woman of great faith, believing Elijah had spoken the Word of God, and acting upon that promise. God promised, and she acted in faith upon that promise, and God delivered. But now her son had died.

Her first response was against the man of God, which was ultimately against God, (verse 18b), “… art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?” The widow’s response is typical of most of the children of God’s response when having experienced a great victory and then immediately faced with another trial. You would think that the child of God would have grown in the last victory; but, not so in many cases, as it was with the widow whose son had died in the wake of being spared death in the famine.

The response many times is, “Why God? Why spare him in the famine just to allow him to die anyway? It must be the man of God’s fault, or it is because of my past sin, or it is because of this or that…” No, God is not against the saved the person; rather He is for His child. Romans 8:31 says, “…If God be for us…” Yes, God is for us (the saved people in Christ); it is not “if” as to maybe, but “if” as to since God is for us, then “who can be against us?”

God is completely Sovereign in all His acts. God has a plan for each child of grace. He knows what each saved person needs in order to change him and to conform him into a vessel fit for the Master’s use. Paul assures us in Romans 8:28, “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Therefore, the child of God needs to be still and wait, and consider every adverse situation that he is in, to know God’s Will in the matter. God is proving His child; He is establishing him; He is growing His child in grace and knowledge of Christ, that he might know, that he might have confidence and assurance that “He is mine and I am His.”

The widow’s response of accusation against the man of God, ultimately against God’s Will for her life, is a good lesson for us to learn God’s Way. Elijah prayed to God and God restored the widow’s son to life again. Then she said in 1 Kings 17:24, “Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.” Herein lies the lesson to be learned; it is Truth; the Word of God says, “…in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” (Matthew 18:16)

This God had done in the widow’s life. Now, she knew that “Truth” makes one free of fear, doubt, and rebellion to God. “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)

Where are you today? Have you recently experienced a miracle of God in your life and now are faced with another test? Have you learned to trust God? Or are you where the widow was, questioning and accusing the man of God, ultimately God? If you are where the widow was; then just be still and wait. Meditate on God’s Word knowing, even though you can’t understand the why for the present, that God has never failed you; not one promise of God has ever failed. Know and understand that He promised He would never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5c) and that “All Things” (not some, but all things) are working together for good for you. God cannot lie and He cannot fail.

God died for you; He called you unto Himself; He has revealed that He lives in you and He loves you and is conforming you for His Honor and Glory and for your good.

Then, be still and trust Him; He will bring you through the trial and you will be made free in Truth. God’s design in each test in the child of God’s life is to establish him in Truth; for in Christ (Who is The Truth) you can do all things.

Then you can say, as the widow said, “I know (I know for a fact; I am certain; I know that I know) that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.” When you come to know this fact, you are free indeed. Yes, as one said, “Thank God, free, free at last.”