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After a time, the brook Cherith
dried up; and Elijah had no more water to drink. What must he
do? Did God let him stay there and die of thirst? No, his kind
God did not forget him. He knew all Elijah's wants; and when the
brook was dry, He had a new home for Elijah, and new friends to take care
of him. God spoke to the prophet again, and told him to go to
Zarephath, and dwell there. Was there any kind friend for Elijah at
Zarephath? Yes; God said, "I have commanded a widow woman there
to sustain thee." Elijah
obeyed God directly. He arose, and went to Zarephath. It was a
long way off; and when he came to the gate of the city, he felt tired, and
faint, and hungry. He saw there a poor woman gathering sticks.
She was pale and feeble; for she had suffered much in the famine, and she
looked as if she must soon die. Was this the woman whom God had
chosen to take care of Elijah? Yes; she was very poor; but God could
help her to find food for herself, and for Elijah also. The good
prophet knew she was the right person, and he knew how poor she was; but
he had great faith in God; he knew that God, who made the ravens bring him
food, could help this poor widow to feed him too. So Elijah called
to the woman, and said, "Bring me a little water, that I may
drink." The poor widow was very kind; she was willing to give
what she could; and she went directly to fetch the water. But Elijah
called again and said, "Bring me, I pray thee, a little bread in
thine hand." Then the poor woman looked very said, and said,
"I have no bread; it is all gone. I have only a little meal,
and a little oil; and now I am gathering two sticks; and I shall go and
dress it for myself and my son, and we shall eat it, and then we must
die." This was sad indeed; but Elijah had a message for the poor
widow, to comfort her in her sorrow. He said, "Fear not; go and
make first a little cake for me; and afterwards make for thee and thy
son. The Lord God of Israel says, the barrel of meal shall not
waste, nor the cruse of oil fail, till the Lord send rain upon the
ground." Did the woman believe? Yes, she had faith in
God; she believed that he had power to do this miracle, and she went and
obeyed Elijah. She first made a little cake for the prophet, and
then she made for herself and her child. Were the meal and oil all
gone then? No, there was as much as there was before she made the
cakes. So she put away the meal and the oil, and next day she
dressed them again. Were they gone then? No, all was the same
as before. God added to the meal and the oil, every day, and made
them increase; and the poor woman, and Elijah, and the child, ate in
comfort and plenty many days. After
a time a new sorrow came into the poor woman's little family. They
had lived happily together a long while; now God was pleased to send them
trouble again. The widow's little boy fell sick and died. The
poor mother was very sorry to lose her child. She went to Elijah,
and told all her trouble to him. Elijah was sorry too; for he loved
the little boy. Elijah himself had no power to raise the child, but
he knew that God could if he pleased; so he took the dead boy out of the
mother's arms, and carried him into his own room, and laid him upon the
bed. Then Elijah threw himself upon the child, and prayed to God,
and said, "O Lord, let this child live again." And did God
hear the prayer? Yes, "The Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and
the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived."
Then Elijah took the little boy, and brought him to his mother, and said,
"See, thy son liveth." The widow was happy now, and
thankful to God who raised her child. She knew it was God's power
that made her son alive again, and she believed God, and the words that
His prophet spoke.
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