Gasoline, Groceries and Giving: The Widow of Zarephath

The widow of Zarephath knew what it was to be 'short' on necessities. We might be feeling a pinch at the pump and a little gashed when it comes to groceries - but she had just enough for one last meal before the certainty of the grave, and then God asks her to give her last meal to a prophet she had never met.

What can we learn from the story of the Widow of Zarephath about giving in lean times and is the lesson relevant for us today?

Furthermore, how should we understand passages about the raising of the dead? George Muller and Matthew Henry give their thoughts on how to interpret such stories.