There have been evenings that I have not been able to sleep or have woken up and just lay in bed thinking and worrying about all kinds of things. I do not know about you but when it is dark and you are lying in your bed not sleeping and thinking about your issues it seems like they are gigantic.
They just seem to get bigger at night.
I suppose money is most people’s problem. How are you going to pay accounts or get through until the end of the month?
2 Kings 4:1-7 The story of a widow whose husband a son of the prophets died and left her with lots of debt. This widow came to the Prophet Elisha fearful because a creditor had threatened to take her two sons as bondsmen unless she paid the debt that she owed.
The prophet Elisha asked her, "What do you have in your house?"
The widow first says “I have nothing in my house, …but I do have a small jar of olive oil.”
That was all God needed
When we are worried about how we are going to provide for our families or pay our debts the question in our minds should be what do we have? What is in our hands?
Psalm 13 David feels forsaken and questions God on the problems in his life. But as you continue to read the Psalm you see how David encourages himself and ends the Psalm with thanksgiving for what he has and what God has done for him.
It is so important that when we are in despair and feel like God is not answering our prayers, we think back and remember all the promises that have been fulfilled. That we look at our circumstances and see all that God has given to us.
Our families, our homes, our cars. The food we eat and the clothes we wear and the comfortable beds we sleep in. Our physical health and spiritual well-being.
Maybe we do not have much but what we do have is so much more important.
What answers has God already placed around you? Sometimes you just need to look around you. Don’t let fear and doubt make you focus on the circumstances. Circumstances can cause you to think that God does not answer your prayers. As I have said in a previous episode. The answer to your prayer is already in your heart. The word dwells inside of you.
John 14:12 Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Elisha then told the woman “Go around and ask all your neighbours for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”
Once the jars were filled, Elisha told her “Sell the oil and pay your debts and there will be enough money left over to support you and your sons."
So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out the oil.
The scripture does not say how many jars there were, but I would like to believe she did not just have few jars. She must have had a heap of jars.
Verse six says “There is no jar left, the oil stopped flowing!” Had there been more jars, the oil would have kept flowing.
The miracle for the widow and sons went only as far as they were willing to believe and take action. I think the widow had great insight and did not want to lose her sons so she collected the maximum amount of bottles possible. I know that we must trust God but he lets us participate in the miracles. We have to hear our Father and do whatever He tells us.
John 2:6 Mary Jesus’ mother said to the servants at the wedding where the wine ran out,
“Whatever he says to you do it”
"Jesus said to them, “Fill the water pots with water”. And they filled them up to the brim. Not halfway, full to the brim.
The important lesson for us today, is that with every answer to prayer, there is an action we have to take. Before a miracle, there will be a word from God.
When Jesus is about to change water into wine, he first gives an instruction. "Fill the water pots with water."
John 9:7 A man born blind from birth. Jesus said to him, “Go and wash in the pool of Siloam.” The man went away and washed. When he came back, he could see.
Matthew 12:13 The man with the withered hand. Jesus is going to restore it, and he says, "Stretch forth thine hand." Oh wow! The hand was restored.
John 11 the dead friend of Jesus. Jesus first told the sisters and people to take away the stone. Even to the dead Jesus gave a command. “Lazarus, come out!”
Even when the disciples healed the lame man they gave him an instruction. “Look at us!”
Acts 3 Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. 2 As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money. 4 Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. 6 But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, get up and walk!”7 Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. 8 He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.
The benefits that accompany the Good News will have words from God that we need to obey.
1 John 5:2-3 This is the way we know we love God’s children. It is when we love God and obey His Word. 3 Loving God means obeying His Word, and His Word is not hard to obey.
When life is not going your way, or if you are worried about something or you get sick, the first place you should go is to our Father and ask Him for His word on the matter.
James 1:5 If you do not have wisdom, ask God for it. He is always ready to give it to you and will never say you are wrong for asking.
James 4:2-3 You want something you do not have, so you kill. You want something but cannot get it, so you fight for it. You do not get things because you do not ask for them. 3 Or if you do ask, you do not receive because your reasons for asking are wrong. You want these things only to please yourselves.
As with the widow, determine what you have. It may be small but when the Holy Spirit helps you, what is small in your mind and thinking can become much in His hand.
John 6:5-13 Jesus looked up and saw many people coming to Him. He said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread to feed these people?” 6 He said this to see what Philip would say. Jesus knew what He would do. 7 Philip said to Him, “The money we have is not enough to buy bread to give each one a little.”8 One of His followers was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He said to Jesus, 9 “There is a boy here who has five loaves of barley bread and two small fish. What is that for so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was much grass in that place. About five thousand men sat down.11 Jesus took the loaves and gave thanks. Then He gave the bread to those who were sitting down. The fish were given out the same way. The people had as much as they wanted. 12 When they were filled, Jesus said to His followers, “Gather up the pieces that are left. None will be wasted.” 13 The followers gathered the pieces together. Twelve baskets were filled with pieces of barley bread. These were left after all the people had eaten.
Let go and let God.
The widow only had one small jar of oil. Yet, she was instructed to POUR IT OUT. The poor widow had to pour her oil out to become financially successful and pay off all her debts. She was able to sell her oil because she was providing something that everyone needed at the time.
Don't be tempted to hold on to something because you can't see where the next supply will come from. The little boy had to give his lunch box to Jesus, only then did his five loaves and two small fish feed five thousand.
Galatians 6:2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
The widow had to go and ask for empty jars. Elisha told her to borrow empty jars from her neighbours and not just a few.
Our pride sometimes keeps us from asking for help. Her neighbours were willing to help and then I think benefitted from loaning her the jars
When she had poured oil into all the jars she had. She sold the oil and was able to live on the profit she had made. I suggest she sold the oil to her neighbours and they got the best oil ever and their jars back.
She did not depend on just her own supply. She asked her neighbours and friends, and they invested in this miracle. Don't be afraid to ask for help!
With God, there can never be a lack. We can have more than enough even though the world’s economy is a mess.
I believe prosperity is when we have more than enough, enough to live on and some to give away.
Our lives are not controlled by circumstances. God gave the widow SUPERNATURAL ABUNDANCE, RESOURCES, AND PROVISION because she obeyed His Word.
Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—Amplified Bible
In this widow's indebted state, God caused her to be successful. She used what she had, despite how fearful she might have felt. God turned her biggest misery into her greatest miracle, and He will do the same for you.
Be encouraged today. In your place of weakness, you will find strength in His grace.
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. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Amen
