Dave's Diary

Daily Reading: 1 King 17:17-24

Throughout the coming week, we’ll be reading Biblical accounts of the LORD’s power to raise the dead back to physical life. These accounts should, come as no surprise at all. After all, this is the same LORD who breathed life into Adam in the first place, having created him from the dust. Today’s reading begins when Elijah is living in the rooftop room of a Gentile widow in the Sidonese town of Zarephath. He was sent there by the LORD during the drought which would only end after Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18. While she provided shelter and cooked for Elijah, it was the LORD who miraculously provided the basic ingredients of flour and oil for their meals.

When her son became sick and died, instead of turning to Elijah’s miracle-working God with desperate faith, she turned on Elijah, blaming him for her son’s death. She recognised that this man’s God was powerful, but her superstitious approach to life led her to the conclusion that Elijah was somehow to blame. Elijah’s response was to bring the boy to God in painfully honest yet fervently faith-filled prayer. It’s informative that he took the boy’s body to a private place. But perhaps this explains the freedom he had to virtually blame God for the death. No one else was listening, so Elijah could be utterly vulnerable and honest with the LORD. This all felt so unfair, and he cried out to the God of Justice to intervene and to restore the boy to his mother. ““Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die? … Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” he pleaded.

Elijah’s prayer proclaims that Yahweh is the Lord God Almighty and that He therefore CAN revive the child. It proclaims that He is “my God” and therefore Elijah comes to Him standing on the foundation of their prior relationship as motivation for his prayer. He reminds God that the poor woman is a widow and that she has been very hospitable to Elijah – implying a rationale for God to step in and intervene. In addition, if God doesn’t, the neighbours will assume that Elijah’s God has been cruel to this poor woman. What’s more, this boy was her only form of future support. Elijah’s argument is that God not only can, but that He also should intervene. Having made his argument, Elijah prophetically bowed down over the boy’s body while crying out to God to breathe life back into him. And … God did.

As disciples of Jesus this scene teaches us many things. For today, let’s allow it to remind us that we ought to be people of fervent, faith-filled prayer like Elijah (James 5:17) who do not hesitate to bring our prayers and cries to God with great expectation. We are children of the Living God, and Jesus has made a way for us to approach the throne of grace in prayer. Let us make use of this great privilege by turning to God in every situation that feels beyond us. We may feel moved to make an argument for why God should answer us, but ultimately, let’s not put our confidence in our arguments, but in God’s goodness, power and grace as revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Heavenly Father, we cry out today for our nation, South Africa. May peace be poured out on our streets. May hope be poured out in our hearts. May our economy be raised from the dead. May our power grid be revived. May our dams be filled. May our governing authorities be granted supernatural wisdom, integrity and ability. Let justice reign and Your name be glorified. Today and always. Amen.