1 Kings 17:17-24 “God’s Goodness Never Fails”
“Now it came about after these things that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became sick; and his sickness was so severe that there was no breath left in him.” (17) As a consequence of the boy’s death, the woman regretted her relationship with Elijah saying he had come to reminder her of her sins. She did not attack him, but felt his presence as a godly man had illuminated her ungodliness. He asked her for her son and then took him to “…the upper room where he was living, and laid him on his own bed.” (19b). Very likely Elijah himself was a bit mystified by this young man’s death and separated himself to call on God about it. He then stretched out on the boy three times and called to the Lord, “…’O LORD my God, I pray You, let this Child’s life return to him.’” (21b). He questioned God in this matter but not in the presence of his grieving mother, but in the face of God he knew to be loving and compassionate. Whatever, the reason for his death we are not explicitly told [nor is Elijah], but in all his questioning of God, he still believed in the goodness of God. We must realize our obedience to God is not without its tests. In the face of trials, we must not doubt the goodness of God!
