“And 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.’ ” (1 Kings 17:24)
What do you do when you’re at the end of your rope? We’ve heard it said, “You tie a knot and hang on.” But, as Christians, we have more to hang onto than just a rope. Because we worship a God who has demonstrated the power of resurrection through his own Son, who was raised on the third day after he was crucified, we know he has indeed given us the truth we need to live our lives.
In 1 Kings 17:8-24, we read of a very desperate situation. The prophet Elijah is in hiding because of a decree by the evil King Ahab and his wife Jezebel sentencing him to death. Elijah is given instruction by God to go and stay with a poor widow and her son who live in Zarephath. Although God makes miraculous provision for them to avoid starvation, things go from bad to worse when the widow’s son dies. They are brought to a breaking point, and the widow of Zarephath lashes out at the prophet of God.
However, when we are at the end of our rope, God can bring new life to our desperate situation. With the raising to life of the widow’s dead child, the Lord demonstrated He is the source of life and truth. This biblical narrative teaches us Christians have more to hang onto than a rope. We have the powerful promises of an almighty God who assures us all things will work out for ultimate good.
-Paul Merideth lives in Jeffersontown, KY and is the Preaching/Teaching Minister at Watterson Trail Church of Christ