What She thought would happen . . .

Brace yourselves and prepare for the worst! It seems that everywhere we look these days – news broadcasts, doctors’ reports, economists’ forecasts, election outcomes – the only news we’re receiving is bad news. And this constant onslaught of negativity can really begin to taint our outlook and add fuel to the fire of our worries and fears. Will we see our worst fears realized, leaving us without a hopeful expectation for our future?

But when it comes to what we think will happen and what actually happens, there’s often a discrepancy. Despite the negative forecasts, often what we can’t anticipate in our lives and leadership is how our connection to God will impact our outcomes and outlook.

“And the word of the Lord came unto [Elijah], saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee” (I Kings 17:8-9).

A famine, a final meal, and a formidable illness – the Widow of Zarephath had long since given up on a positive, purposeful future when the prophet Elijah encountered her by the gates of Zarephath. Picking up sticks to fuel the fire for what would be the final meal for her and her son, she probably couldn’t imagine why he singled her out and asked for something to drink and a meal. Did she look like she had something to share?

“So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand” (I Kings 17:10-11).

The Widow of Zarephath never dreamed that her negative situation would be the very place God would choose to show up on her behalf. All she knew as that she and her son had come to the end of their ropes and that could only mean it was also the end of their lives.

“And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die” (I Kings 17:12).

One of the keys to effectiveness for leadHERs is maintaining a positive, future-focused outlook despite the headwinds that may be blowing in your direction. But there’s something about challenging, even grueling circumstances that will try to siphon the last ounce of hope from your heart. The Widow of Zarephath was there. All tapped out. Empty. But to her credit, and as God had commanded, she dutifully fulfilled Elijah’s request.

“And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth. And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days” (I Kings 17:13-15).

What she thought would happen, the day she envisioned eating her last meal, became the day when God’s provision proved more potent than any famine.

Later, when faced with another impossible situation, the death of her son following a terrible illness, sparks of fear and dread filled her heart again and spilled out of her mouth.

“And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?” (I Kings 17:17-18

And if God’s previous performance of providing food to sustain her through the famine wasn’t enough, she became the recipient of another miracle when God used Elijah to raise her son from the dead.

“And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth” (I Kings 17:23-24).

Like the Widow of Zarephath, negative words, outlooks, and forecasts are often swirling around our lives and leadership. Obscuring our view, deafening our ears, and bombarding our minds with the what ifs. But when it comes to what God can do in the face of our most challenging experiences, we can take courage from her story, giving God the opportunity to have the final say over our lives.

RESIGN – Never let a negative forecast resign you to a negative future.

REFRAME – Use God’s proven track record to reframe challenges as opportunities for His power to be on display in your life.

RID – In difficult circumstances, rid yourself of the worrisome whispers and negative voices in your mind.

RESOLVE – Resolve to cultivate an expectation of God’s intervention in your everyday life.

LeadHERs, my prayer for you today is that instead of expecting the worst, you will live with an expectation of the God who is able to do far beyond what you can fathom. Allow the knowledge of His power to empower your outlook and change your perspective. Don’t be so easily swayed by what you hear. Instead, remember what His Word says He has the power to do!

Your Sister in LeadHERship,

Dr. Margaret R. Frye

Want to learn more about the story of the Widow of Zarephath? Find it in I Kings 17:8-24

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