A Woman Gave Elijah Food

1 Kings 17:7-16

Our true story comes from the book, or part, of the Bible called First Kings (1 Kings). It is the first book in the Bible that tells about the kings of Israel.

Elijah lived in a town called Tishbe in Gilead. Elijah loved God. He talked to God, and he listened to God (The name Elijah means "My God is Yahweh"). Elijah knew God would take care of him.

Elijah traveled to tell people about a famine that would happen soon. He had been traveling a long way and was thirsty and hungry. He needed help. So, God told him to go to a town called Zarephath and ask a woman to help him.

He went to the woman and told her he needed help. He was hungry and tired and wanted some water and bread. The woman wanted to help him, but she had a big problem. She only had enough bread for herself and her son.

She said, "All I have is a little flour and a little oil. I was gathering sticks to make a fire to cook just one more meal for my son and me."

But Elijah said, “Don’t be afraid. God will help you.” So, the woman helped Elijah by making bread for Elijah.

And something AMAZING happened! She didn’t run out of flour and she didn’t run out of oil. She used the flour and oil and she STILL had more. God had filled them back up again! After she made bread for Elijah, God gave her enough flour and oil so that she would always have bread for her son and herself.

The woman was happy that she made bread for Elijah, and God gave her enough flour and oil to keep making bread. Elijah was SO thankful for the help he received from the woman. The same is true for us! We can be thankful for people who help us.


Bible Paraphrase: Always give thanks to God. – Ephesians 5:20, NCV

Text Truth: I am thankful for people who give me food.

Family Devotional

“As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”

Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”

She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

— 1 Kings 17:12-16

Elijah was hungry, but he didn’t have any food to eat. There was a woman who helped Elijah and gave him food to eat. Elijah was thankful to have food.

Always give thanks to God. — Ephesians 5:20

What are your favorite foods? With your family, make a list. You could have favorite fruits, vegetables, juices, sandwiches, anything you like to eat! Write them down along with the name of the family member.

Pray with your family. Allow any family members to pray if they wish. Thank God for making so many yummy foods for you to eat. Read your list. Thank God for making people who help give you food to eat, like mommies and daddies farmers and food truck drivers, grocery store clerks and people who work in restaurants. Acknowledge your thanks for all of these. 

Activities You Can Do at Home

Play Bible-Verse Hopscotch

You'll Need: Bible, masking tape, sticky notes, marker  

• Create a hopscotch grid on the floor, making 5 or 6 squares. Print individual words of the Bible paraphrase on sticky notes and attach them to the squares in the correct order.  
• Guide your child to hop from square to square, saying each word.  
• Turn to Ephesians 5:20 and show your child the words of the verse.  

Make a Food Collage

You'll Need: Bible, paper plates, glue sticks, pictures of food (especially bread) 

• Suggest that your child choose pictures of food to glue on their plates. Talk to him about foods he enjoys eating.  
• Mention that a woman helped Elijah have food to eat. God took care of Elijah, and He took care of the woman and her son.  
• Recall the Bible story.  

Help a Friend

You'll Need: Bible, long wood plank  

• Lay the plank on the floor. Place the Bible nearby, opened to 1 Kings 17.  
• Invite your child and a friend to walk the length of the plank. Then direct him to ask his friend to walk on the plank.
• Say: “Will you help your friend? Will you hold your friend’s hand?”
• Thank your child for helping his friend.  

-

Story illustrations are the copyright of Sweet Publishing and licensed by FreeBibleimages (http://freebibleimages.org) for free download under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike 3.0 unported licence. 

-