The brook near where Elijah was hiding ran dry, because no rain had fallen in the land. So the LORD said to him: "Move on to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have designated a widow there to provide for you." He left and went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the entrance of the city, a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her, "Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink." She left to get it, and he called out after her, "Please bring along a bit of bread." "As the LORD, your God, lives," she answered, "I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar and a little oil in my jug. Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks, to go in and prepare something for myself and my son; when we have eaten it, we shall die." "Do not be afraid," Elijah said to her. "Go and do as you propose. But first make me a little cake and bring it to me. Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son. For the LORD, the God of Israel, says, 'The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'" She left and did as Elijah had said. She was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well; The jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, as the LORD had foretold through Elijah.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

—Habakkuk 3:19

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

In a horribly turbulent, violent, and dangerous time for the children of God, the prophet Habakkuk confidently said, "The LORD is my strength!"Wow, what faith. Wow, what power we have in the LORD's abiding and empowering presence. Even in the worst of times, we are an enabled people. Unfortunately, we often forget the power available to us as disciples of Jesus. That's why I believe we need to pray Paul's prayer for fellow believers in our day, especially those brothers and sisters caught in a hard time:

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being. . . .Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21)

Yes, because of the power given to us, we can confidently say, "The LORD is my strength!"

My Prayer...

Sovereign God and Almighty Father, I pray today, asking that you not only be my strength, but be the strength of those I love who are battling depression, grief, and despair. I ask your blessings, especially and specifically for these people... (Speak the name of several you want to pray for by name, here!) O, dear Father, I pray that together, we may...

...know the hope to which [you have called us], the riches of [your] glorious inheritance in [your] holy people, and [your] incomparably great power for us who believe..

Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

—2 Corinthians 5:21

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Ⓒ 1996-2026 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent.

Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done this wondrous thing. Shout for joy, O depths of the earth! Break into song, O mountains and forests and every tree! For the LORD has redeemed [his people].

—Isaiah 44:23

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Ⓒ 1996-2026 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent.

As [Jesus] was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

"Teacher," they said to Jesus, "this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?"

They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger.

—John 8:3-6 NLT

Key Thought

Jesus' adversaries were setting a trap for him. This trap involved asking a religious question intended to take the compassion of Jesus and use it to crush him against the law of Moses. It's sad how we can get so ramped up about our religious discussions that we lose sight of the heart of God. God is a God of holiness and integrity, righteousness and steadfast love. The two pairs go together. They are inseparable. Those who call upon God's name as their God must pursue his character with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. The religious leaders here remind us how easily we can shift from being righteous students of God's teaching into being vicious brutes pursuing self-justification. Lost in the argument and the pursuit of Jesus was the personhood of the unnamed woman. She is no more than a token to those who took her to Jesus, the bit of cheese on their religious mousetrap. However, even in the midst of those who hate him and would trap him, Jesus finds a way to deflect their venom from the woman and restore her dignity, as we will see in the following verses. People matter to God. Do they matter to us?

Today's Prayer

O LORD, God of Israel and Father of my LORD Jesus, please forgive me. I fear, dear Father, that I haven't treated all people as you would have had me treat them. That is especially true with some people who didn't fit into my religious comfortability. Please give me a more compassionate heart to better say and do the redemptive things in the lives of everyone with whom I interact, especially those who haven't found your grace. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

• John 9:1-3
• Joel 2:12-13
• Romans 5:6-11

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Ⓒ 1996-2026 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.