When our immediate needs become overwhelming during our most challenging circumstances (e.g., debt, a grim diagnosis, or a sense of hopelessness), we can turn to God. Second Kings, Chapter 4 offers a profound lesson in faith, resourcefulness, and divine provision. It tells us the story of a poor widow at the end of her rope who did not know what to do or where to turn during her pain and poverty; however, when she turned to the Lord, she experienced a miraculous intervention.
The widow is the wife of one of the sons of the prophets (i.e., men training under Prophet Elisha to be prophets and preachers in Israel). Her husband - a lover, friend, provider, and protector, had been taken away from her in death, and she is devastated because her husband is dead and she cannot pay her bills. The widow is over her head in debt and can lose her sons to creditors to work as slaves to liquidate her debt, according to Jewish Law (Leviticus 25:39).
Despite her problems, the widow held firm to her faith because she knew God cared and that He could do something about her situation, so in her desperation, she cried out in faith to Prophet Elisha (i.e., God’s representative on earth) for help and reminded him that her husband, feared the Lord. Prophet Elisha responded to her plea and asked, What do you have in your house? The widow replied, Your servant only has a small jar of oil, and this response sets the stage for a miracle that would change her life.
Prophet Elisha instructed the widow to borrow empty jars from her neighbors, and He told her to go inside her home, shut the door, and pour oil into all the jars. The small, borrowed jars of olive oil miraculously filled and spilled over because she followed his instructions.
The obedience and faith in the words of Prophet Elisha led to the miraculous provision for the widow. He told her to sell the oil, pay off her debts, and live on the profits after she reported what happened to the borrowed jars.
The miracle demonstrates economic relief and the abundance of God amid the lack and the importance of:
- Recognizing What We Have: The widow initially saw her possession of the small jar of oil as insignificant; however, the jar of oil becomes the means for her deliverance once placed in the hands of God. We often overlook the resources and talents we possess, considering them too small to make a difference, and this story encourages us to reassess and value what we have, no matter how insignificant it may seem.
- Seeking Godly Counsel: The widow turned to the Prophet Elisha in her time of need to seek Godly wisdom and counsel to provide us with perspectives and solutions we might not see on our own.
- Acting in Faith: Obeying and trusting the instruction to borrow jars and pour oil from Prophet Elisha required faith because his request did not make logical sense. Our breakthroughs come when we step out on faith, even when the path ahead is unclear.
- The Provision of God is Abundant: His miracle met the immediate and future needs of the widow because His provision exceeds abundance - going beyond our immediate necessities to secure our future.
- Community Support: The widow borrowed jars from her neighbors - an act that signifies the importance of community, mutual support, and a collective effort in times of need.
- No resource is too small: What we have, when given to God, can be multiplied beyond our imagination.
- Faith and action go hand in hand: It is not enough to believe; we must also act on that belief.
- The provision of God is timely and sufficient: Trust that God will provide in unexpected ways!
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