Black Gold, Texas Tea

Black Gold, Texas Tea; 2 Kings 4:1-7

I believe that every one of us remember the Beverly Hillbillies, most of us grew up watching Jed and all his kin. It was a great show and very realistic, right! Well it may not have been realistic but it was a good show. Could you imagine going out into the woods and hunting for food but instead you strike oil? Hard to believe but on the show that’s exactly what happened to Jed Clampett.

Do you remember in the theme song what they called oil? Black gold, Texas tea… That’s the title of our sermon today.

We may never be as lucky as Jed Clampett, we may never strike oil, we may never have more than what we need to get us through the week – but there’s good news…

There is a hymn that says, “Be not dismayed, what’re betide, God will take care of you.” God never promises us that if we put our trust in Him that He is going to make us rich. He never promises that He is going to give us everything we want. He never says that we are going to strike oil. But when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal savior we have riches beyond what this world can give.

In fact 1 Timothy 6:17, “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.” The riches of this world are uncertain. Here today and gone tomorrow. But through Christ we are given the riches of God’s glory, wisdom, mercy, and grace. You see in Christ we are given true riches.

So even though we may never strike oil, we have something of far greater value.

But there is a story in the Bible about a widow that did strike oil because she trusted God completely. By the way, do you know what a widow is? A little boy once said, “A widow is a woman that lived with her husband so long that he died.”

Today I want to take a look at this woman and see what God did in her life because of her obedience.

1. Her Dilemma

Maria Ricker said, “Widows are divided into two classes, the bereaved and the relieved.” It doesn’t take long to see that this is a woman who was bereaved. In fact in Vs.1a, “A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, ‘Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD.’”

Obviously this woman is grieving over the loss of her husband. A man that she loved, a man that loved her. I can’t imagine what it must be like to loose someone that you are so closed to, someone you loved and depended on, but I have talked to and counseled with some that have. They are at a loss as to what to do, where to go, how to handle all of the daily affairs of life. They felt hopeless and helpless. And I have no doubt this widow woman felt the same way.

Now there was some comfort in knowing that he loved the Lord and he had a home in heaven. She knew that he was in a better place because she had hope and hope is a wonderful thing. Hebrews 6:19, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” The hope of eternal life - Death is not the end. It’s just a passing from this life to the next.

A bank in New York sent some flowers to a competitor who had recently moved into a new building. There was a mix up at the flower shop, and the card sent with the arrangement read, “With our deepest sympathy.” The florist, was embarrassed, and apologized. But he was even more embarrassed when he realized that the card intended for the bank was attached to a floral arrangement sent to a funeral home. That card read, “Congratulations on you new location!”

That’s what happens when we die, our soul departs this body and it moves on to a new location. We will no longer have a physical body; in Christ we will have a spiritual body. One that doesn’t get sick or old and will never die. This man had passed on and had now received his spiritual body, he was in heaven with God – because he was a man that feared the Lord.

Knowing your loved one is with God is a comfort, but it does not do away with the feeling of loss. No doubt she cried because she was mourning... But she was also crying because of her dilemma…