Shut The Door

We can learn about Faith by the actions of this Poor Widow Woman. Let me make my final point in this text and try to close this morning. Consider Vs 3-4 again - “THEN HE SAID, GO, BORROW THEE VESSELS ABROAD OF ALL THY NEIGHBORS, EVEN EMPTY VESSELS; BORROW NOT A FEW. AND WHEN THOU ART COME IN, THOU SHALT SHUT THE DOOR.” I must be honest here, at first glance I did not quite understand. I fully understand the miracle of increase. Only God can take our little and make it a lot. Went on to Say – after collecting all the pots go home and – Shut the Door!

When I was lead to this text by the Holy Spirit, I first thought well, this portion is really not important, the Widow had a need – went to the man of God – Acting according to Faith. God was going to give her a Miracle of Increase whether she shut the door or not. The more I allowed the Holy Spirit to deal with me in relation to the text, the more He revealed to me. Elisha was on to something here – he was very specific and said before you can have your Miracle you must shut the door . We have missed out on many blessings and miracles with our name on it because we failed to understand the Principle of -- shut the door ! My first thought was the significance of Shutting the Door was to exclude interruption during the filling process which could only be done in God’s presence. My brothers and sisters there is more to it than that.

When our neighbors know that we are in need – when they know that we are going through a storm – when they know that it is hard to make ends meet. When we have finally heard from God and He has given us instructions – we then allow our neighbor to talk us out of our Blessing, they steal our Miracle. Well…what do you mean Rev?

 I don’t know what you are going to do that for

 That just doesn’t make any sense

 What you going to listen to the Pastor for?

 You don’t know what you are doing

 It does not take all of that

 Don’t even waste your time filling out that application your not going to get the job anyway

Can’t you hear this widows neighbors if she had not shut the door:

• What you taking all those empty pots home for? – RIDICULE Her

• You don’t have nothing in your house -- SHAME Her

• Lost her husband, now she done lost her mind too -- INSULT Her

• What’s she going to do with all those empty pots – QUESTION Her

• Only thing she has left in her house is Air – she going to bottle and sell that too?-- LAUGH at Her

Elisha knew what he was doing, he told the Widow Woman Go Home, There’s a miracle with your name on it -- All you have to do is – shut the door

• Sometimes you have to keep your Noisy Neighbors out – shut the door

• Don’t let your neighbor talk you out of your blessing – shut the door

• It does not take all of that – shut the door

• They don’t need to understand your business – shut the door

• Some are in bad shape today because you have not learned to shut the door

• Not growing Spiritually – shut the door

• Some around us don’t have the Spirit of God indwelling – shut the door