09/08/2026
Did you know that the Northern Great Lakes Synod posts daily devotions? You can access them anytime at https://nglsynod.org/prayfaithfully/
This week's devotions are written by Fortune Lake Summer 2026 Staff. Today we’ll hear from Michael Slawinski, Day Camp Coordinator, on the daily theme of kindness:
1 Kings 17 8-16
8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 “Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there, for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.” 11 As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 13 Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said, but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.” 15 She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.
This passage shows us what kindness is all about. In the text, God tells the prophet Elijah to go to Zarephath. There, he meets a poor widow who is getting ready to make her final meal for herself and her son before they starve. Elijah asks the widow for food and water because he is also hungry. The widow is hesitant at first because she doesn’t have enough food for her family, let alone another person. But Elijah tells her that, through God, there will be enough flour and oil not only to feed the three of them but also to provide for them for days to come. The widow trusted God’s promise and made the meal.
I really love this passage because it shows kindness in a time of hardship. The widow didn’t have to be kind to Elijah, but she chose to be kind, trust God’s promise, and make him food. I believe the message of this story is something we should actively apply to our daily lives. There are going to be times when it will be hard to be kind to one another. But God always shows kindness and everlasting love to us. So, even when it’s hard, we should show kindness and love to everyone around us, even if they have previously hurt us.
The great thing about kindness is that it doesn’t have to involve extreme acts of kindness like the one the widow showed Elijah. It could be something as simple as holding the door for someone, saying good morning to a friend, smiling at people, or offering a helping hand. In the Bible, it says time and time again to be kind and love your neighbor as you would love yourself. So, my challenge to you is to show acts of kindness whenever possible.
Dear God, Thank you so much for showing me your everlasting love. Help me be kind in all aspects of my life. Amen
