1 Kings 17:17-24
17 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing.
18 She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"
19 "Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed.
20 Then he cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?"
21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!"
22 The LORD heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived.
23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, "Look, your son is alive!"
24 Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth."

Is there any other miracle better than this one - the dead come back to life again? The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being (Genesis 2:7). When the Lord takes this breath back, man dies and becomes dust.

Few in the Bible got back from the chilling hands of death - the boy we see here, son of the Shunammite woman, Lazar, daughter of Jairus, son of the widow from Nain, Tabitha, Euticus and Jesus. Let’s look at today’s scripture.

When the child died, the first thing that came to her mind was her sins (v18). But now she was trying to blame Elijah for the loss of her child, we can’t see her turning to repentance. When we turn against the one ordained by God, we condemn God himself. What do we do when hardships struck us, blame God or our fellow travellers? Or do we look into our own hearts and the things we need to change?

The man of God here, turned towards God while he was faced with criticisms, and he prayed. God answered his prayer, the boy got his life back. Seeing this, the woman turned sober. She was turning towards God and his words (v24).

When we are faced with accusations and criticisms, let us also turn towards God with a prayerful heart. Let us follow the example of Jesus, he prayed with loud cries and tears. let us make his words come true in our lives. “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these (John 14:12).

Prayer idea

Praise Jesus for the “ I am...” claims in the gospel of John. (Eg. I am the bread of life)