She was a recent widow. Mother of two sons. Her deceased husband was a servant of the prophet of Elisha. She had debt. Debt she could not pay. She reached out to Elisha. He asked her two questions. “What shall I do for You?” and “What do you have in the house?”
She tells Elisha that she only has one jar of oil. He instructs her to gather up empty vessels from her neighbors and interestingly tells her, “Do not get a few.” Do not get a few? Those few words let us know that something is about to change in her life.
Elisha tells the widow to pour the oil from her jar into the empty vessels she will gather.
I imagine that her children helped her run about the neighborhood borrowing empty vessels. Not too few were the words of Elisha. Oddly, Elisha tells her to shut the door, when this blessing takes place. She begins pouring her one jar of oil into the vessels she had. She begins to pour, and pour, and pour. She still has oil in her jar. The only reason she stops pouring? She has no more empty vessels.
She tells the prophet Elisha she has poured the oil and is then instructed to go sell the oil. Use the money to pay her debts and live on the rest.
~Thought For Today~
When times are hard, it is very difficult for us to see what we have. The bank account is below comfort level. We don’t see additional sources of income to help us pay all the bills. A sense of desperation settles in, to a new home. Our minds. We dwell on what we don’t have more than on what we have. Generosity to help others is not at the top of the to do list.
I am sure there are many messages that could come from this passage of scripture. Since tithing was an issue for me, that is what first came to my mind. When pressed for funds to pay our debt, we don’t want to let go of that part that God asks that we willingly offer to Him. We rationalize that we cannot meet our budget if we give a to the ministry of Christ. So we withhold it. We tell ourselves we don’t have anything to spare.
Suppose the widow had told Elisha that she was too poor? She had nothing. Her sons were doomed to slavery to satisfy her debt and you can imagine she would have nothing or no one to help her, should that happen. Yet, she was quick to say she had one jar of oil. She did not hoard it and tell Elisha she had nothing. It was her offering to a resolution for her serious problem.
God wants to see our faith played out. He wants to see that we are so confident in His ability and His desire to help us that we will trust Him with a “portion” of what we have. It all belongs to Him anyway. But, He is not asking for all we have. Just a portion.
I can testify from my experience that when we keep all we have and find no way to give back to God what belongs to Him…Well, oddly, obligations come out of the woodwork. Things happen that drain our funds. Unexpected bills, medical bills increase, the dog gets sick, the refrigerator goes out, the car falters. Bills, bills and more bills. I can attest from my experience. I know about this.
Then one day I gave up. I got it. How can God multiply what he does not receive? So we began to tithe. A tenth of everything that we make. The pressure slowly receded. Like the oil of the widow, we keep giving our part and God blesses us with the ability to take care of our obligations. Like the widow, we are able to pay our debts, and miraculously live on the rest. I cannot explain it, I just know it works.
Here is a challenge for you. If you have not felt you were able before, try to give the portion God requires. Keeping in your mind that all that we have belongs to Him anyway. Trust Him with that part that He asks of you and see if you don’t notice that you are able to live on the rest. So, the question this morning is are you giving your part to the work of God? If you are, then you can confirm what I have found to be true. If you are not. What do you have? Trust your heavenly Father with it.
~Scripture For Today~
2 Kings 4:1-7
1 Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” 2 Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” 3 Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few. 4 And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out into all these vessels, and you shall set aside what is full.” 5 So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they were bringing the vessels to her and she poured. 6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not one vessel more.” And the oil stopped. 7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest.” (NASB)
Malachi 3:10
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. (NASB)
Luke 6:38
38 Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” (NASB)
~Prayer For Today~
Hello Father! We live in very difficult days. We are holding on to what we have for fear of tomorrow. We pray that we follow in obedience and give a portion of what we have. We place our trust in You, that what is left will pay our debts and allow us to live lives of abundant blessing, trusting in You for all good things. We pray that our part will bless others through missions and our local congregations to bring many to believe in Jesus. Forgive us our sins. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
©2015 Kathy Ledbetter. All Rights Reserved.