Elijah and the Drought - The Book of 1 Kings

In this Bible Story, A great drought fills the land of Israel, yet God continues to meet Elijah’s needs. The drought is a symbol of Israel’s spiritual state as they have strayed away from the Lord and worshiped other gods. This story is inspired by 1 Kings 17. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.

Today's Bible verse is 1 Kings 17:7 from the King James Version.

Episode 122: As a drought was entering the land, Elijah looked around with sorrow. He received a word from God that this would be a lasting famine and was sent to King Ahab to share the message with him. After this Elijah followed God to a brook where he was miraculously provided for until the brook dried up. But God would not abandon His servant Elijah and He sent him to Zarephath to be provided for by a widow. Little did this widow know that she herself would experience God’s miraculous provision in her obedience with what little she had.

Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.

Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.

Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.

Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.

Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max Bard

Producer: Ben Gammon

Hosted by: Pastor Jack Graham

Music by: Andrew Morgan Smith

Bible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray, and it came to pass after a
while that the brook dried up because there had been
no rain in the land. First King seventeen seven. Dear God,
when there is a drought in the world and recessions
in our economy, I will look to you to provide

(00:21):
for myself and those I love, like you did for
the prophet Elijah by the brook in the same miraculous manner.
I thank you that, like the ravens you sustain, you
will nourish me through miraculous connections and divine relationships. Place

(00:41):
an internal clock within me to know when it's time
to move on to the next season of my journey.
As I move in obedience, give me the faith to
move as the widow did, knowing that if God said it,
he will be faithful to perform it. Even when my
dre seem like they're dying. I thank you that when

(01:03):
I call upon your name, you will resurrect what seemed
to be dead and breathe new life into the promises
in my life. In Jesus name, Amen, thank you for
praying with us today. Continue your time with God by

(01:23):
listening to today's Bible story brought to you by Bible
in a Year dot.

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Com Elijah and the Draft. In our last story, we
were introduced to more kings of Judah. Abijah ruled with
a brutal fist and sinful arrogance. His son Atha ruled

(01:52):
with the fear of God and a righteous heart. Atha
was able to topple idols in Judah and bring the
people of God back to their first love. Israel, however,
was still descending into the pit of idle worship and despair.
Now we are introduced to a dominant force for the
Kingdom of God, Elijah. He showcases the beginning of a

(02:15):
cosmic battle between the true God of Heaven and Earth
and the false God bel Elijah is able to witness
the true control and discipline of the Lord, as well
as his provision over the faithful. Inspired by the Book
of First Kings.

Speaker 3 (02:33):
Hello, I'm Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible
in a Year podcast. In our last episode, we heard
about King Asa, who, unlike his father and grandfather, was
a man who sought God. He sought God's favor and
acted faithfully towards the Lord. He removed idols and banished
the cult worship of false gods from Judah. Asa was

(02:57):
a good king, and through his leadership and legacy, the
people's hearts turned back to the Lord to the north
of Judah. However, the people's hearts were still very far
from God. And as we'll learned today, God was about
to do great things through a man named Elijah, a
prophet who would contend on God's behalf with the rampant

(03:19):
worship of bail in Israel. Elijah is a powerful prophet
from God, and he will stand true in a faithless generation.
How thankful we are for the story of Elijah. Let's
begin listening now to God's word.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
A dry wind was scratching across the ground of Israel.
Plans became blighted and began to wither under the heat. Elijah,
a chosen man of God, looked upon the destitute land
with sorrow. He saw the flowers beginning to curl up
and pass into the ground. He witnessed the livestock lose
their luster and slow down into a pause. The Lord

(03:59):
spoke closely into his ear. There will be no rain
until I give the word, God whispered. Elijah turned away
from the fields and walked towards the palace gates. He
needed to relay the message to Ahab, king over Israel.
Elijah opened the doors into Ahab's halls. The blighted wind

(04:19):
blew violently. As he opened the doors, sand made its
way inside. Ahab sat among some of his counselors. He
looked up at Elijah and listened to the word of God.
Once Elijah was finished, he left silently and awaited a
word from the Lord. Venture forth towards the east. God
told him hide underneath the tree covering beside the brook

(04:42):
of Carith, drink from the brook and eat the food
I bring you. I will send ravens to give you food.
So Elijah camped beside the brook for a long while.
He sat beside the waters. The shade of the trees
and coolness of the water protected him from the hot
winds coursing through Israel. The Lord provided for him. Ravens

(05:04):
brought him food daily, and Elijah sat in the presence
of God, soaking in his goodness. The two were close,
as David once was with God. In the wilderness. Elijah
watched the brook as the weeks passed. Since there was
no dew or rainfall, the river began to dry up.
There was no more protection for him God came to

(05:26):
Elijah again. He spoke clearly and tenderly, saying, go to
the village of Zaraphath. I have spoken to a widow
who lives there. She will provide for you. So Elijah
went and arrived at the gates just as God had said.
A widow was in the front, gathering sticks for her fire.

(05:47):
Elijah smiled and said, would you be able to spare
a little water. The widow grinned and agreed. She gathered
some water. Would you be able to spare some food
as well? Elijah asked. Its grin turned upside down, her
shoulders slumped, and her lips were parsed together. I swear
by the Lord, I have not one crumb of bread

(06:09):
to give you. Her lips began to quiver, and she
put her hands over her face. Elijah watched as the
widow began to cry. I have a handful of flour
and a little cooking oil at the bottom of my chug.
The sticks I was gathering was to make a fire.
The woman raised her eyes to Elijah and said, this
is going to be my son's last meal before he dies.

(06:33):
Elijah placed his hands on her shoulders. He looked her
in the eyes and smiled, saying, fear not, go and
prepare your bread. Make some bread for all three of us,
and we will witness the faithfulness of God. So the
widow prepared the bread. She added water to the flower
and began to bake the mix. To a surprise, the

(06:53):
dough expanded far beyond her expectation. The widow watched as
she had enough bread to feed all three of them
for weeks. The three of them ate and rejoiced in
the provision of God. Weeks had passed. Elijah, the widow,
and her son had feasted in the glory of God. However,
the woman's son became very sick. His fever became unmanageable,

(07:17):
and his body began to fade. Finally, with great struggle,
the boy passed. Elijah was broken, and the widow was unconsolable.
The woman cried out to Elijah, saying, O, Man of God,
what have you done to me and my boy? It
is you who has killed my son. Elijah said nothing,
as the woman wailed before him. She beat her fists

(07:39):
on his chest and fell to her knees. Elijah looked
to the boy's body and walked towards it. He picked
him up and carried him upstairs into the upper room
of the house. He laid the child down. Tears dripped
down his face and landed beside the boy's lifeless body.
Elijah sobbed and laid over him. Muffled prayers could be

(08:01):
heard from Elijah, My God, why have you brought tragedy
to this woman? She has shown me kindness. Elijah stretched
his body over the child, crying out to the Lord. Please.
Elijah whispered, let him live. And as Elijah was speaking,
he felt the boy's arm twitch. Elijah leaped up to

(08:22):
his feet as he watched, the boy's chest began to
rise and fall. God had breathed life into him. The
widow was still on the floor downstairs. She heard screaming
from the upper room as Elijah yelled. Elijah rushed down
the stairs holding the child, yelling, he lives, he lives.
The three of them rejoiced. Elijah was able to witness

(08:43):
the power and provision of God in the midst of
a famine. It would be these events that strengthened his
resolve to follow God. Elijah would not bend in his
faithfulness to him. Many battles awaited Elijah, and God would
require him to stand.

Speaker 3 (09:02):
As we begin the scripture today, we're introduced to a
name that is going to be a well known great
name in the Word of God. A man who walked
with the Lord. A powerful prophet. Elijah received a message
from the Lord that he delivered to Israel's king Ahab.
The land was about to be plunged into devastating drought.

(09:23):
The rains would cease, and the clouds would not release
their nourishing waters until God gave word for the rain
to return. And with that Elijah departed, led by God
to the east, where he was hidden by the brook Carath.
As David had written in his most famous psalm, Elijah
experienced the hand of God leading him beside still waters,

(09:45):
providing for his physical needs as he drank from the
brook and ate food brought by ravens God had sent him,
but also providing for his spiritual needs and preparing him
for big spiritual battles. Never forget that God will always
provide for our needs in every circumstances, that He makes

(10:06):
provision for us, and that He provides for what we need,
just as he did Elijah when we obey him. After
some time, the brook Careth dried up, because the drought
was intense. So God sent Elijah to the town of Zaraphath,
telling him there was a widow there whom God had
told to feed the prophet. Just as God had said,

(10:28):
there was indeed a widow there that lived with her son.
Elijah asked her for water, and she gladly brought him
the water. But when Elijah asked for a morsel of bread,
the woman became very sad. For you see, the famine
and drought had devastated the land, and this woman had
no food to give, no food to spare. She told

(10:50):
Elijah that the little bit of flour and oil that
she had was only enough for her and her son
to eat a final meal before they died. Iijah would
not be deterred because God had provided for him at
the brook. He trusted God to provide for him now
as well. He told the woman not to fear or

(11:11):
to be sad, but to go and do as she
had planned. To make a fire, but Elijah said she
was to make a small cake of flour and oil
for him, then make some for herself and her son.
Then he said to her what we read in First
King seventeen, verse fourteen. For thus says the Lord, the

(11:32):
God of Israel. The jar of flower shall not be spent,
and the jug of oil shall not be empty until
the day that the Lord sends rains upon the earth.
Elijah was inviting this woman to join him in trusting
God for a miracle. The small amount of flour and
oil was just that, pitifully small, not enough for even

(11:53):
one person, let alone three. But God always richly supplies
everything to us, especially those of us who are in
Christ Jesus. And God was promising to provide that from
a small amount. There is an inexhaustible supply until rain
would return to Israel. And God will supply all of
your needs according to his riches in glory in Jesus Christ.

(12:18):
We're told that in the New Testament, so a great
miracle took place. And for weeks the widow and the
son and Elijah ate the food and it never ran out. God,
as always kept his promise. Then one day the widow's
son fell sick and died. The widow, of course, was distraught, despairing,

(12:41):
wondering why such tragedy had come upon her. So Elijah,
always trusting in God, always believing in God, trusting God
for another miracle. Took the boy to an upper room
where he was staying and cried out to God, laying
his body over the boy's body and asking God to
bring life back into this child. God heard Elijah's prayer

(13:04):
and the boy was filled with life again. This was
a resurrection. This is, of course, an amazing, powerful miracle.
God showed Elijah what we can know with confidence that
not even death, because of what Jesus Christ has done
for us, will keep us in the grave. That there

(13:25):
is life and life beyond, an abundant life today for
those who follow Christ himself. And so Elijah's faith was
strong and he knew that God would always provide for
him and would never leave him. Elijah's faith would be
tested in the years that would follow, but God had
big plans for Elijah that we're going to see in

(13:47):
our next passage. Dear God, thank you for the reminder
today that you are a God of might and miracles,
that you are the God of life. And we pray
that each one of us would trust You for our
day provision and that we would live in the promise
of eternal life through Jesus our Lord. Amen. Thank you

(14:08):
for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm
Pastor Jack Graham of Dallas, Texas. I would encourage you
to download the pray dot com app and certainly to
make Bible study and prayer a priority in your life.
I would encourage you to go to church and be
a part of a Bible believing Christ exalting church. If
you enjoyed this podcast, tell a friend, let someone else know,

(14:31):
because the Word of God changes lives. And if you
want more resources as to how you can know and
love God and follow Him all the days of your life,
be sure to visit Jack Graham dot org as we
have many resources available to you as you journey with
the Lord. God bless you.