Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” 2 Kings 4:2
Three-year-old Buddy and his mom went to church each week to help unload groceries from the food ministry truck. When Buddy overheard his mom telling his grandmother that the delivery truck broke down, he said, “Oh, no. How will they do food ministry?” His mom explained that the church would have to raise money to buy a new truck. Buddy smiled. “I have money,” he said, leaving the room. He returned with a plastic jar decorated with colorful stickers and filled with coins, which amounted to a little over $38. Though Buddy didn’t have much, God combined his sacrificial offering with gifts from others to provide a new refrigerated truck, so that the church could continue serving their community.
A small amount offered generously is always more than enough when placed in God’s hands. In 2 Kings 4, a poor widow asked the prophet Elisha for financial assistance. He told her to take inventory of her own resources, reach out to her neighbors for help, then follow his instructions (vv. 1–4). In a miraculous display of provision, God used the widow’s small amount of oil to fill all the jars she collected from her neighbors (vv. 5–6). Elisha told her, “Sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left” (v. 7).
When we focus on what we don’t have, we risk missing out on watching God do great things with what we do have.
The Widow’s Olive Oil
4 1 The wife of a man from the companyb of the prophets cried out to Elisha,
“Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord.
But now his creditorc is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”
2 Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”
“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”d
3 Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars.
Don’t ask for just a few. 4 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.”
5 She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons.
They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.
6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”
But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
7 She went and told the man of God,e and he said,
“Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”
INSIGHT
- When has God multiplied your resources in a miraculous way?
- When has He used you to combine your resources with the gifts of others to meet a bigger need in your community?
When Elijah was taken into heaven, Elisha commenced his fifty some years of ministry (853–798 bc) as God’s prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel at a time when her kings were leading the Israelites into Baal idolatry (2 Kings 2:1–8:15). Elisha performed various miracles similar to the miracles performed by his mentor, showing that he was his successor and authenticating himself as God’s prophet. In 2 Kings 4, Elisha enabled a poor widow to pay her debts with a miraculous supply of olive oil, which prevented her two sons from being sold into slavery (vv. 1–7). He also raised a boy from the dead (vv. 32–37). Both miracles, scholars suggest, anticipated Jesus’ miracles of supplying food to feed thousands (Matthew 14:15–21; 15:32–38) and raising the widow’s son and Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Luke 7:11–15; 8:49–55).
PRAYER
Faithful Provider, please help me to be mindful and grateful as I faithfully manage and share all You’ve given me. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen!!
Read: 2 Kings 4:1-7 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Job 8-10 ; Acts 8:26-40
