Introduction

Welcome, beloved family, welcome. We gather here today, united in spirit and purpose, to delve into God's Word, to seek His wisdom, and to find comfort and guidance in His eternal truth. We stand on the precipice of a new day, a new week, a new opportunity to live out the love of Christ in our lives.

Today, we are turning our hearts and minds to a remarkable passage from 2 Kings 4:1-7. It's a story that may not be as familiar as the parting of the Red Sea, or as celebrated as the birth of Christ, but it is a story that holds a profound message for us today. It's a story of a widow, her two sons, and a prophet named Elisha. It's a story of faith in the face of desperation, obedience in the face of uncertainty, and God's provision in seemingly impossible circumstances.

In this passage, we see a woman in desperate circumstances. Her husband, a faithful servant of God, has died and left her with debts she cannot pay. The creditors are threatening to take her two sons as slaves. In her desperation, she turns to Elisha, the prophet of God. And in this interaction, we find our three main points for today.

Perceiving Potential in the Present

Before we read the passage, let's pause to consider the words of the great preacher Charles Spurgeon. He once said, "Faith goes up the stairs that love has built and looks out the windows which hope has opened." This woman's story is a testament to that truth. She climbs the stairs of faith, looks out the window of hope, and finds the love of God waiting to provide for her needs.

The first step in perceiving potential in the present is to recognize the small jars of olive oil in our lives. These are the gifts, talents, resources, and opportunities that God has given us. They may seem insignificant, but they are not. They are seeds of potential. They are the starting points for God's provision.

Next, use these small jars of olive oil. The widow didn't just acknowledge the presence of the oil, she used it. She poured it into the empty jars that her neighbors had given her. She didn't let it sit idle. She didn't let it go to waste. She used it. The same is true for us. We must not only recognize the small jars of olive oil in our lives, we must also use them. We must pour them out in service to others. We must invest them in the kingdom of God. We must not let them sit idle.

The third step is to trust in God's provision. The widow didn't know how the oil would multiply. She didn't know how it would become enough. But she trusted in the word of the prophet. She trusted in the provision of God. And her trust was not in vain. God provided for her needs. He turned her small jar of oil into a source of abundance.

The final step is to give thanks for God's provision. The widow didn't take the abundance of oil for granted. She didn't hoard it for herself. She sold it to pay her debts. We must not take God's provision for granted. We must not hoard it for ourselves. We must use it wisely and generously. We must give thanks for God's provision by using it to bless others.

Pursuing Purpose in the Ordinary

The widow, in her desperation, is asked by Elisha, "What do you have in your house?" Her response? "Your servant has nothing there at all, except a small jar of olive oil ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO