She was a lonely lady. Her husband had died and all she had left in her home was a little boy. Each day as the rain never came, things dried up. She noticed that there were neighbors that were hungry. She shared from her garden. She believed in and prayed to God in heaven. Many about her worshipped idols and prayed to them but she believed in the only true God in heaven.

  Every day as she went about cooking, cleaning, and washing clothes, she took care of strangers and others that were in even worse condition. She had no man about her home to help with the more difficult and heavy chores yet she did not have a pity party for herself, she just faithfully kept up her home as best she could and always shared with others the little she could grow in her garden.

The famine was terrible. There was no rain for such a long time. It became impossible to even grow gardens. There was only barely enough water for people to drink, wash clothes and survive.

  Things became so bad that she could not get grain to grind into flour to make bread anymore. She anxiously watched her little supply of flour shrinking every day as she used it to make bread for her little boy. She was careful not to eat very much for she did not want her boy to starve.

  Finally the day came when in the bottom of her flour barrel there was only enough old flour to make one last little tiny loaf of bread. It would be the last day that they could eat. With a heavy heart she went out to get firewood so she could start a little fire and then bake that last meal for herself and her boy. Even if it rained on that day, it would take at least 3 months to grow more grain to make flour. She was not the only one starving. She had helped others who were starving. Now, she figured it would be a few days and both she and her boy would die of hunger. 

  In her barrel was old flour that insects had found. The insects were hungry too. I imagine there were old mealy worms in her flour. The old flour must have also had that stale taste. She did not mind that for she and her boy were very hungry. They had waited as long as they could so they could live longer after the last meal.

  While she was gathering sticks, a stranger came down the path. He looked dusty, tired and said he would like a drink. Well, that was something she could do. That was easier than his next request. When she started to go get him a drink, he asked her if she would fix him something to eat. Normally she would be proud to usher him into her home and do all she could for him but on this day, how could she take from her only son the promised last piece of bread they had.

  Shouldn't her own family come first?

  Why did this stranger have to ask her? maybe a neighbor down the street could care for this man. What thoughts must have entered her mind as she looked at this stranger. There was something special about the eyes of this stranger. He had a Godly kindness and cheerfulness about him. He seemed to be full of faith. Maybe if she told him she had only a little, he would understand.

  She poured out her heart to this stranger. Looking into his eyes, she felt safe to tell him her story. She told him what had happened to her and how at this time, there was nothing but one last meal and she was getting ready to fix that and die. There was so little in that barrel that it would only take two little sticks to make enough fire to bake it. She told the prophet she was just gathering two sticks. This must have brought a sympathetic tear into the kind man's heart.

  The kind man of God was so gentle. He told her that if she would fix her meal after she fixed him some, her little supply of oil, flour and water would never run out till it rained. She trusted this kind man and his promise. She fixed the food and her supply never ran out. When she looked in the barrel, that she had emptied, there was more in there. Where did it come from? The same happened in the oil bottle. She used the last drop but more appeared in the bottom.

  Think of it, the prophet ate up the old bad tasting flour and the rancid old oil but she had a new fresh supply created for her little boy and herself. She really had a really good deal. Better yet, this man of God kept her company. She was able to learn all kinds of things about the true God in heaven because he lived in a room in her home. He was around to do heavy chores and bring the WORD of heaven to instruct her son. He brought with him the very presence of God. What a rich treasure she had as this Godly man ate and slept in her home every day for a long time! She had no fear of starvation for she had God's man in her own home. He taught them many things they had never known.

  Imagine what it was like to listen to God's man praying. Every day through the years of famine, he prayed for people to turn away from idols. About a hundred years had passed since the people had joyfully sang the songs of David and really loved god. It took a lot of time, hunger, starvation and death of animals before they began to forget their idols and ask God to help. Elijah wanted it to be only a short time. His kind heart pained at the sight of people praying to idols and starving to death. How much longer would it take before they would see that only GOD could help them? The rain did not fall for three and a half years. Trees were dying, animals and people were dying, it was a very sad picture. How much longer till people would ask God for help? 

  I would have loved to have this man of God live in my home and hear his prayers and hear his stories of faith. What a treasure God gave this little widow lady.

  When sickness took the life of her son, this man of God prayed. He took the little boy to his own room. The little boy was cold and had no color. He was dead. He laid on top of him and prayed to God. Three times he prayed like this. He cried out to God for a miracle of new life. God answered and the boy was raised to life by our powerful God in heaven.

  Now the widow lady had no doubts left at all in her heart. She knew this stranger was God's man.