I had to read it in the Bible before I saw it alive in my life. I encountered the concept of sustaining grace as I studied the story of the widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17, but it would take the next 20 years to see its truth revealed in my life. Let’s study the text first:

The Widow at Zarephath

Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to him (Elijah): “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.” So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”

“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 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 cake 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 gives 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.

Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 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?”

“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. 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?” 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!”

The LORD heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. 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!”

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” (New International Version, emphasis added).

When I come to the end of reading this story for the very first time, I pause at the last sentence. What is the “word of the Lord” that the widow is referring to? It has to be referring to the sentence: “The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day of the LORD gives rain on the land.” And then again the story says that “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.” Wait a minute!  Why does she say, “Now I know…” in that last sentence? I understand that she just went through this amazing life and death drama with her son, but wasn’t the miracle of this never ending supply of flour and oil going on all along? Yes, because the story says that her son got sick “some time later.”  I recount this story on a piece of paper, drawing the timeline of events. 

Story timeline

1. Drought begins

2. Widow meets Elijah

3. Word of the Lord was spoken

4. Word of the Lord was being fulfilled everyday

5. Widow’s son gets sick and dies

6. Elijah miraculously brings the son back to life

7. Widow now believes that Elijah is a man of God and the word of God is true

Here I see a God of sustaining grace. God spoke his promise to the widow and was faithful to sustain her every day, even though she did not acknowledge it or thank God. Here I see the miracle of everyday faithfulness. Even one day or several days of food being replenished is something, but when I take a step back and see God’s continuous faithfulness every day, I am humbled. That’s sustaining grace.

What’s Sustaining Grace?

Sustaining grace isn’t a spectacular show of God’s power. It’s not that feast with many flavorful foods. It’s bread and water every day. There were no banquets or buffets during the years Elijah lived with her, but there was bread. There may not be these remarkable and memorable spiritual experiences in our lives, but every day God is faithful. I draw a parallel with my relationship with my mom when I was growing up. My mom made the same turkey sandwich for my school lunch every day. One sandwich is not a big deal. Even a week of sandwiches. But when I take a step back, and see the continuous work of my mom, day in and day out, providing for my basic needs, I see her love for me. Even when I was not thankful, took her for granted, or failed to acknowledge what she was doing, she always came through with that turkey sandwich for lunch. Through my mom, I catch another  glimpse of what sustaining grace might look like.

Sustaining grace is that God is faithful even though we are faithless. It is the promise that the word of the Lord, that the flour and oil will not be used up until the drought ends. The fact that God continued to provide for her and sustain her, even though she did not recognize and thank Him for His work in her life is the real miracle of grace in this story. God was not just faithful one day, but he was faithful every day for years. And through this story, I saw a glimpse of the sustaining God, ministering to us by grace in every season of our lives.

Sustaining Grace: God’s continual faithfulness to provide for our needs even though we do not acknowledge it or thank him for it

1. Observation - Who died?

2. Understanding - Who received every day?

3. Application - Listen and obey.