A Little Goes A Long Way
Friday, September 13
2 Kings 4:1-4 (NLV)
“Now the wife of the son of one of the men who tell what will happen in the future cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead. You know that your servant honored the Lord with fear. But the man to whom he owed money has come to take my two children to make them serve him.” Elisha said to her, “What can I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your woman servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go around and get jars from all your neighbors. Get empty jars, many of them. Then go in and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour the oil into all these jars, and set aside each one that is full.”
Devoción
Today's devotional takes us to the story of a young widowed wife, whose late husband, a son of a prophet, left her severely indebted, with no capable means of paying back the debt. The widow was on the verge of selling her two children as slaves, and she pleaded with Elisha for help.
The fate of a destitute family in ancient Israel was typically to sell some or all its members into slavery, where at least they would be fed. Historically the legal system in Israel would not allow the young widow to declare bankruptcy; she was faced with a most difficult decision: either give her sons as indentured servants to her creditor as payment for the debt, or seek the help she so desperately needed.
Elisha, comes up with a plan and instructs the woman to take what she had, (all that she had), one jar of oil and pour that out in faith into the borrowed vessels. Elisha’s actions on behalf of this family clearly reflects God’s love and concern for those in need. What can we glean out of this story? Pastor Jentezen’s message this week focuses on the seed of multiplication. Come to God as you are and give Him what you have, sow in faith, and see what God can do with what you have to offer.
In obedience the widow gave what she had to offer and she gave this in complete faith. Also, we can see that it took effort on behalf of the widow and her sons to locate the jars as instructed to fill. Which teaches us a valuable lesson; we need to be willing to walk in obedience. Our obedience will determine the outcome of our miracle. Both scenarios require action, determination, and faith, to not focus on the current circumstance, but to focus on using what we have inside of us to produce and sow a good seed of faith.
A little really does go a long way. With a little jar of oil and a lot of faith, the young widow was able to pay off her debt and provide security and stability for her children. Today we learn that God uses what you have and what you are willing to give to produce a wonderful blessing of multiplication for His Honor and Glory.
Oración de hoy
Querido Padre Celestial,
We bless You and honor You. We humbly ask that You use what we have, to produce a good and proper fruit. Your Word says that we did not choose You, but You did choose us and appointed us so that we might go and bear fruit that will last. Your Word also says we do not receive because we do not ask, so we humbly ask that You take what we offer in love and obedience, and produce in us a good fruit that will give You glory. Lord, whatever You ask of us, we will give to You in obedience. Father, You are our only source, our only provider. We thankfully recognize Your Authority and Sovereignty over us. In the Name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Aplíquelo hoy mismo
In what ways do we individually and collectively undermine our own productive capacity, and what can we do, with God’s help, to change our current circumstances? Meditate on the story of the young widow and pray for God's direction and insight in identifying your areas of opportunity.
Recursos
- If you have ever struggled to step out in obedience to the Lord, be emboldened to do so as you watch, “Obedience is Better than Sacrifice.”
- Exodus 19:5 states that if you obey God fully and keep covenant with Him, then you will be His treasured possession. Think about those words and take them to heart as you learn to walk in obedience.