II Kings 4:1-7 introduces us to a widow who came with a need to the prophet Elisha.
She had already been through so much. Her husband’s death was unexpected and sudden. The life they had created together was now a thing of the past. She was so thankful that she did have the blessing remaining of her two wonderful sons. She could look into their eyes and still see a reflection of him.
Now, the creditors had come banging on her door, and she had nothing to pay them. They were coming to enslave her sons to pay the debt. She felt she had nowhere to turn when she remembered the prophet, Elisha. She and her husband had trusted his counsel in the past. She prayed that he would have the answer she needed.
His question puzzled her at first. “What do you have in the house?” She knew she had nothing of any value other than a pot of oil. The prophet instructed her to go to each of her neighbors and borrow empty vessels, as many as she and her sons could gather. They quickly ran from house to house with their strange request. The neighbors must have wondered to themselves what was going on. Then Elisha told her to shut herself and her family inside and pour the oil into the borrowed containers. She poured until no vessels remained. They were all filled!
She once again reported back to Elisha. He directed her to sell the collected oil and pay her debt. God had provided a way when there seemed to be no way. She sold the oil, and it was enough to pay what she owed to save her sons from slavery. But God’s provision didn’t end there. It was also enough to provide a living for her and her family.
God can use whatever we have when we surrender it to Him. He will multiply what we yield into His hands, impacting not only us and our family but also all those around us who are watching. The widow’s neighbors had to have been affected by seeing this miracle since they had contributed their vessels when she asked.
Was she tempted to hold onto her small amount of oil? It was all she had left. If she had lived in fear and not surrendered it to God’s hands, her testimony would have had a different ending for her and her sons. Instead, she became an instrument God used to meet her and her family’s needs and blessed others with the abundant oil God miraculously provided. I am sure her sons shared the story of this miracle with their children one day. Their mother’s faith had freed them from the chains of slavery.
We cannot live in fear! We have a God who can supply all our needs according to His riches in glory. In your greatest need or place of weakness, His grace is sufficient. His power is made perfect in weakness.
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
(II Corinthians 12:9)
What are you holding onto today that you need to commit to His hands? Step out in faith with your oil so that Jesus can bless what you have surrendered to Him to perform the miraculous. It will impact you and your family and those around you.
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