We do not know her name, but she was obviously attuned to God’s voice. We only know of her location and of how she remains an integral character in two Old Testament stories.
The widow of Zarephath took care of Elijah, God’s prophet. Her home was in the middle of a coastal town where Baal worship was regularly practiced. The territory was ruled by Ethbaal, Jezebel’s father, yet the widow defied her culture and heard from God.
“I will send a prophet to you. Take care of Elijah, my servant.” (First Kings 17 implied).
So this widow walked to the town’s entrance and gathered sticks for a last meal. She and her son were down to the final morsels of flour and the last drops of oil. But in spite of their meager supply, she showed hospitality and trusted the God of Israel.
“‘Don’t be afraid,’ Elijah said. ‘Take what you have and make me a small cake, then one for your son and yourself.'” (First Kings 17:13 NIV).
How much trust was required for this dear woman to follow the instructions of Elijah’s God? Her reward was a generous sustaining as they never ran out of flour and oil. She continued to house Elijah as he ministered in Zarephath, and they all continued to eat.
Scripture is filled with multiple stories of God’s sustaining provisions—a time when people were desperate and only God could provide. Below are only three of the recorded miracles:
- Clothing for Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21)
- Fresh manna every day for the children of Israel (Exodus 16:4)
- Jesus feeding the 5000+ with only five loaves and two fish (Matthew 14:19-20)
Later, this same widow faced a desperate situation. Her son fell ill and died. Yet God sustained her by using Elijah to pay back her kindness and faith. Elijah carried the boy to the upper room and laid the child on his bed. Then he begged God to return the boy’s life to him. And God honored that prayer. (First Kings 17:19-22).
The widow’s son lived. I wonder if he always knew how special he was — how miraculous each day’s breath was.
Disclaimer: I know it is possible that some readers of this blog post did NOT receive their answer to prayer. The cancer returned. The loved one died. The marriage ended. The miracle did not happen. I cannot begin to explain why some prayers are answered and others are not.
But the true miracle is that no matter what the consequences, God loves us messy and frail human beings. And some day we will understand. Everything will turn out all right, and we will see our loved ones again.
Although we are never told the name of this widow, she remains one of the incredible biblical believers in the sustaining power of God’s provisions. She reminds us that we can trust in the God who provides for his kids, the God who sustains us as we wait for answered prayer. The God who surprises us with the intensity of his love and the creativity of his miraculous provisions.
At the time of this writing, we citizens in the USA are needing provisions. Groceries keep going up, and with our upcoming holiday baking — many of us will have to make adjustments. Gas prices have doubled, while farmers and trucking companies struggle from the rising cost of diesel. In some of our urban areas, mothers are grieving because they cannot feed their children. And there is nothing worse than watching your babies starve.
People around the world are wondering how they will survive another day, another week. For believers, we can only cry out to God and ask for his mercy. Believe that God can still do miracles and hope that tomorrow will be a better day. So we are asked once again, just as the widow of Zarephath — to trust God to provide.
Belief always comes back to trust.
Do you have a story about how God provided for you? I would love to read about it in the comments below.
©2026 RJ Thesman – All Rights Reserved
Image Attribution: DanielaElenaTentis / Pixabay
Check out this widow’s story and other chapters in Sustain Us, Oh Lord: Finding Strength When Life is Hard.