Elijah Raises the Widow's Son

November 4th, 2026
by David Bempong

[ READ ] 1 Kings 17:17–24

Elijah Raises the Widow's Son
17 After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!” 19 And he said to her, “Give me your son.” And he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed. 20 And he cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?” 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child's life come into him again.” 22 And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” 24 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.”

I wonder what was going through this widow’s mind. Not long ago, she was preparing what she thought would be her last meal. Then Elijah showed up, and somehow the flour and oil kept coming. Each day was another reminder that God hadn't forgotten her. And then her son dies. The same God who had provided for her family had allowed something she couldn’t possibly understand. Her first instinct is to wonder whether she’s being punished for something she’s done. I wonder how often we do the same. Something goes wrong, and we start searching our past for something that might explain why God would allow it. As though suffering must mean we’ve done something wrong.
What gets me is Elijah’s response. He takes her son and brings her pain before God. I love that. Sometimes faith looks like bringing our cries of confusion to God because we know He’s still listening. May we always be a people who pray, especially when life doesn't make sense.
- David Bempong

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ What does the widow’s response to her son’s death reveal about how she understands God and her suffering?
+ How does Elijah respond to the widow’s grief, and what do you notice about the way he prays?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ When have you questioned God’s goodness because of something painful or unexpected?
+ What might it look like to bring our honest questions to God rather than feeling like you have to resolve them before you pray?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Father, sometimes I don’t understand what you’re doing. There are things I’ve prayed for that haven’t changed and things I’ve experienced that still don’t make sense. Help me trust that I can bring all of that to you. Teach me to pray honestly and to trust your goodness even when life is painful. May I always be reminded that you are always listening.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/find-a-group)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.
+ Who in your life might need to know that they can bring their grief, disappointment, and questions to God without pretending everything is alright?