Daily Devotional | God Raises the Dead

There are many things in life that the modern world has learned to control. We can genetically modify crops. We are able stop disease. We can explore outer space. But we have yet to resurrect people from the dead! While it is true that we can sometimes resuscitate a dying person, after a certain point, even our highest medical skills fail. That

That is what makes resurrection such an overwhelming display of God’s power. After demonstrating His ability to care for His own prophet Elijah, by miraculously providing food for him and a widow, God creates another opportunity to declare He has power over life and death, and not Baal.

The son of the widow He just helped became ill and died suddenly. The woman interpreted this event as a punishment for some sin she had committed. Elijah took a different approach. Taking the child in his arms, he brought him before the Lord and asked for his life back (v. 21). Our modern minds struggle with this. Once death has come, we understand that there is no going back. There is nothing we can do! Yet in this Scripture passage we see that God’s power has not been exhausted.

The Creator of the universe has total control over everyone and everything, including life and death. Elijah prays to God, knowing what He can do! The child comes back to life, and his mother declares, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is truth” (v. 24).

Elijah’s credibility was established along with the power of God! This will be important as Elijah challenges God’s people to make a choice: Baal or Yahweh.

>> Do you believe that God holds all power over life and death and everything in it? We may say that we hold this belief, but we often act as if outcomes are up to us. Today’s reading challenges us to place our most critical moments into the hands of the Creator of the universe.

Pray with Us

We often hesitate to pray big prayers, fearing that unanswered prayer will shake our faith. First, may we know You more deeply, so that we can pray in accordance with Your will. Second, grant us unshakable faith, no matter what!

BY Dr. Steven H. Sanchez

Dr. Steven H. Sanchez is professor of Bible at Moody Bible Institute. His specific areas of study include the Israelite monarchy, the Pentateuch, the Second Temple period, and biblical archeology. Steven earned his BA from Columbia University (New York), and his ThM and PhD from Dallas Theological Seminary. He was one of 30 faculty contributors to The Moody Bible Commentary.