A remarkable expression of faith 神不是看我們奉獻多少，而是看我們剩下多少?

1 Kings 17:8-24

“Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” 

Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”

She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”

Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him! The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!”

Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.”

God provides for Elijah's needs first from nature and then through a most unlikely person in the unlikeliest of places. The widow is a foreigner with no one to support her, and Zarephath is in the heart of Baal's own country! By providing for Elijah this way. God also shows his care for the poorest of the poor.

This is the first account in the Bible of a revival from death. It is a heart-stopping story for the reader, too happily closing with a remarkable expression of faith from one who knew nothing of God before Elijah came to her door.

Why?

This widow has faith in Elijah, she obeys the word of Elijah and makes loaf of bread for Elijah first, then makes it for themselves later. So the jar of flour and jug of oil were not run dry until the Lord sends rain on the land.

The tragedy happened in the widow's home, Elijah asked the Lord, and the Lord listen to his pray return the boy's life to him. This miracle shows the faith of Elijah and the great love of the Lord.

God is with Elijah, so Elijah is called a man of God.

How about me is a man of God? I am a son of the Lord, obey the word of the Lord for Jesus is my savior!

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神要以利沙信心成長去沙勒法依靠一個寡婦，不知名字、地點！寡婦是弱勢中的弱勢，且一個男人住在寡婦家，非常不適合接待男人的地方。1)外邦人，2)寡婦無能為力、接待男人這三個不可能證明這是從神來的。神所開的路似乎不可能，但是真的發生。其實是神在供應以利亞，同時供應這寡婦。這寡婦真的很單純，我只剩最後一點麵粉，怎麼做餅先給以利亞吃?寡婦要有更大信心提供給以利亞後還有麵粉和油！寡婦可以說是奉獻自己的生命！一個外邦人居然有此信心。神要我們先放下，全然擺上，神不是看我們奉獻多少，而是看我們剩下多少?

奉獻自己的生命神就給她復活的生命！

如果是我們，我們會怎麼說她兒子死了，而是寡婦看到她自己的罪。我們可能會說：我已經把一切都奉獻給神怎麼兒子死了，怎麼遇到這種問題?“他非常忠心服事你，請醫治他”。神不僅供應他生活的需要，神還讓她經歷新的生命、復活、重生。當求神使我們靈魂甦醒，使我可以要行義路。神所開的路看似難解，神讓我們一一克服，經歷重生，經歷復活！

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How?

Give praise to the Lord and keep faith in the Lord, there is nothing impossible to the Lord, and so is the difficulty in my IoT work.