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Remembering My Sins (1 Kings 17:17, 18)
The widow gave her last loaf of bread, and God performed a miracle. She and her son miraculously escaped starvation and had a constant source of food. It’s hard to imagine the astonishment she must have felt to see this incredible miracle happen, not just once but day by day.
What is the natural human response to contact with God? See Job 42:5, 6; Isa. 6:5; Dan. 10:8; Luke 5:8; Rev. 1:17. Why do you think that reaction is so common?
Through the prophet Elijah, the widow came into contact with God. As we come into contact with a holy God, our sins become more apparent. And then, when something terrible happens, we may feel that the Lord is punishing us. In 1 Kings 17:18, the widow blames God’s prophet for being there and consequently bringing her to God’s notice.
Look at her reasoning (vs. 18). Why might she have thought the way she did?
Perhaps she saw the kind of faithful and holy life that Elijah lived, and she felt convicted in his presence when she contrasted herself to him. Or, living day by day with such a miracle, perhaps she felt the presence of God and His holiness as never before and thus felt her sinfulness more than ever before. Thus, in that context, she saw her sins as the cause of this tragedy.
In many ways, this is such a common reaction. We often blame ourselves and our sins for the tragedies that hurt us or our loved ones. What did I do that caused my child to get sick? What sin has caused this calamity in my life? Though it is true that many times pain and suffering result directly from the sinful choices we make, it’s also true that tragedies come for which we see no apparent reason and certainly through no fault of our own. Remember the story of Job. Even God admitted he was a righteous man, and look what happened to him. We need to be very careful in how we seek to explain the cause of tragedy in our lives. What’s more important is how we respond to those tragedies, and fixating on the supposed cause most likely won’t help.
We all face unexpected and inexplicable tragedy, don’t we? It’s part of what it means to be fallen beings in a fallen world. How can you learn to trust and love God, even amid painful times?
| WEDNESDAY | December 8 |
The widow gave her last loaf of bread, and God performed a miracle. She and her son miraculously escaped starvation and had a constant source of food. It’s hard to imagine the astonishment she must have felt to see this incredible miracle happen, not just once but day by day.
What is the natural human response to contact with God? See Job 42:5, 6; Isa. 6:5; Dan. 10:8; Luke 5:8; Rev. 1:17. Why do you think that reaction is so common?
Through the prophet Elijah, the widow came into contact with God. As we come into contact with a holy God, our sins become more apparent. And then, when something terrible happens, we may feel that the Lord is punishing us. In 1 Kings 17:18, the widow blames God’s prophet for being there and consequently bringing her to God’s notice.
Look at her reasoning (vs. 18). Why might she have thought the way she did?
Perhaps she saw the kind of faithful and holy life that Elijah lived, and she felt convicted in his presence when she contrasted herself to him. Or, living day by day with such a miracle, perhaps she felt the presence of God and His holiness as never before and thus felt her sinfulness more than ever before. Thus, in that context, she saw her sins as the cause of this tragedy.
In many ways, this is such a common reaction. We often blame ourselves and our sins for the tragedies that hurt us or our loved ones. What did I do that caused my child to get sick? What sin has caused this calamity in my life? Though it is true that many times pain and suffering result directly from the sinful choices we make, it’s also true that tragedies come for which we see no apparent reason and certainly through no fault of our own. Remember the story of Job. Even God admitted he was a righteous man, and look what happened to him. We need to be very careful in how we seek to explain the cause of tragedy in our lives. What’s more important is how we respond to those tragedies, and fixating on the supposed cause most likely won’t help.
We all face unexpected and inexplicable tragedy, don’t we? It’s part of what it means to be fallen beings in a fallen world. How can you learn to trust and love God, even amid painful times?
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