The Lord may use you.

INTRO.
- God stablished the home.
- we are to honor our parents.
-motherhood is difficult when no father is present.
-

I. God is gracious to us.

II. We have fears.

III. We need to trust God

================================ANOTHER
OUTLINE==================================

I. God
- He supplies what we need.
- knows what to do.
- powerful
- sovereign ruler of the universe
- uses things or people

II. Elijah.
-obedient servant
- fully dependent on God

III. the gentile woman.

she knew the Lord.
- she had fears.
-
truth gathered:
3. Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath (17:8–24)
17:8–16 In obedience to the word of the LORD, Elijah journeyed to Zarephath, on the
Mediterranean coast between Tyre and Sidon. There God had arranged that a Gentile widow
would feed him. At first she hesitated because she had only enough meal for her son and herself.
However, the prophet ordered her to make ... a small cake for him first. By doing this she was,
in effect, giving God the first place. When she obeyed, she learned the precious lesson that those
who put God first never lack the necessities of life. Her bin of flour and jar of oil never failed.
Jesus made note of the fact that Elijah was sent to a Gentile widow and not to any of the
numerous Israelite widows (Luke 4:26).
During the drought Jehovah provided for His prophet in most humbling ways—first through
unclean birds and then through a Gentile woman, and a poor widow at that. The king in his
palace was hard-pressed, but Elijah had all he needed. God’s man, obeying God’s voice, will
always have his needs met, despite the conditions that prevail around him.

b. The first miracle at Zarephath. 17:8–16.

8–9. Elijah was sent to the Phoenician coastal town, Zarephath, situated midway between
Tyre and Sidon. It is interesting to note that God hid Elijah in Jezebel’s homeland, where Ahab
never thought to search for him (cf. 18:10).
10–15. The widow to whom Elijah was sent is not identified as either Phoenician or Israelite;
but she was apparently a worshiper of Jehovah since she verified her statements by Elijah’s God,
and not one of the native Phoenician gods.
She was a poor lady who was preparing one final meal before the famine claimed her and her
only son’s lives. She was subjected to a severe test of faith when Elijah requested a meal and
promised subsequent provisions, but her demonstration of faith was tremendous.
16. The continual supply of meal and oil was truly a miracle and should not be explained
away by saying that “the generosity of the widow touched the conscience of her better-provided
neighbors” (Gray, p. 340).