MY NEW JOB: BEING OBEDIENT (Wednesday)
- Jan 25, 2023
- 3 min read
2 Kings 4:1-7
The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” 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.”
Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors 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.” She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 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.
She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”
Every day this poor widow cried out to God; she had accumulated much debt while trying to provide for herself and her two sons. Finally, her creditor was coming to take the only thing she had left—her children.
She was beyond hope and had no one to turn to. Elisha heard her cries and asked, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” Elisha instructed her to borrow empty jars, and then pour her oil into them.
The widow went from being penniless to having enough resources to reconcile her debt in a matter of hours. She knew she could not solve her problem by herself; she had faith in Elisha’s solution.
THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS: Sometimes God brings us to a place of brokenness before He shows us the answer to our problems. Elisha told her to pour the oil into jars in secret, so only she and her sons would know the miracle God did for her. When she was done, she still didn’t know what to expect. Elisha had given her one task at a time, so she wouldn’t be overwhelmed with the entire solution. Not only did God provide enough for her to pay off her debt, but He gave her extra to sustain her. Remember the original oil she had been saving for bread? She could now sell oil to provide an income that would meet her needs. She no longer had to worry any more. Her new job was to be obedient to the Lord in each step and become an oil salesperson which would sustain her family into the future.
Lord, help me to trust in You to carry me through the bondage of this world. I desire to believe You are walking me through each problem in my life. My new job is to be obedient to You.
May you be blessed,
Chaplain Wayne Ruckman
Selection taken from I Have a New Job by Chaplain Wayne Ruckman, available on Amazon
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