Whenever we meet economic difficulties or social unrest, many people (including devoted Christians) suffer feelings of insecurity. Let us discuss these feelings openly today, and study a passage which will help us cope with such feelings.

BACKGROUND: The nation of Israel, with Ahab as king, had departed from the true God to worship Baal. The people who worshipped the true God were persecuted by Ahab and his foreign wife Jezebel. To teach them a lesson, God stopped the rain and dew for three years, which naturally caused a famine.




A. Elijah Fed By Ravens (vv. 1-6)

  1. What declaration did Elijah make to King Ahab? (v. 1) If this is true, upon whom will the lives of all soon depend?
  2. Once the drought and resultant famine begin, Ahab will make diligent search for Elijah (see 18:10). Put yourself in Elijah’s position. Will you be scared that Ahab might harm you? Will you worry about where to find food and water for yourself?
  3. By stopping the rain and dew for three years, what was God trying to show Ahab and the people?
  4. What provision did God make to keep His servant hidden for the next two years? (vv. 2-6)

B. Elijah Fed By The Widow (vv. 7-16)

  1. What happened to the brook? (v. 7) Imagine yourself to be Elijah. How would you have felt as you come to the brook each day and find the water receding by the day.
  2. When did God send Elijah his next set of instructions? What did He tell Elijah to do? (v. 9) If you were Elijah, having seen the brook dry up and God sends you to a widow to feed you, how would you have reacted? How did Elijah respond? (v. 10)
  3.  Some people may feel that they cannot identify with Elijah in this and the previous section, because Elijah was a great prophet and they are but “ordinary Christians”. But surely they can identify with the widow. If you were the widow, how would you have felt when Elijah made the request in v.13? What were the factors that made it difficult for the widow to comply with request? However, in spite of all these difficulties, she obeyed. Why?
  4. If you were in her situation, would you have obeyed? Why or why or not? How is this a reflection of how well you know the real God? If a person really knows God, not just in his mind but experiencing Him in his life, he will naturally trust God. Cite examples from the relationship between an earthly father and child to show that this is true.
  5. What happened when the widow followed Elijah’s instructions? (vv. 15, 16) Do you think the widow’s faith was increased upon seeing the miracle? What lesson can we learn from her?
  6. Notice that the Lord did not promise her affluence (that is, suddenly fill up the jar of flour to overflowing) but that she and her loved one will not starve. In other words, her basic needs will be met, day-by-day. What other promises of our Lord can you recall from the Bible that reinforces this?

Reflection: How secure do I feel?


Our God is a mighty God. He has promised that He will take care of our basic needs. If we truly have faith in Him and obey, He will carry us through.


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