When Faith Meets Famine and Loss

The drought in Israel had gone on for so long that people stopped expecting rain.

The land was cracked, the wells were dry, and every home felt the weight of scarcity. Zarephath was no

different. Everyone was simply trying to survive from one day to the next.

In a small house near the edge of town lived a widow and her young son. Life had been difficult

for a long time, but this season was especially heavy, the kind of season that drains your

strength quietly. Her flour jar was almost empty, her oil nearly gone, and she had already

stretched what little she had as far as it could go. On one of the driest days yet,

she stepped outside to gather a few sticks. Not to prepare a proper meal,