2 Kings 4

In 2 Kings 4 we open with a story of the wife of one of the “guild of prophets” coming to Elisha because her husband had died and she was in deep debt.  In fact, the man to whom she was in debt was “on his way to collect by taking my two children as slaves”.  Can you imagine?  Here is a situation where the husband has been serving God as part of the guild of prophets, accrues a little debt, and now has died and left his widow in a real pinch.  We all know that ministry doesn’t always pay so well, but this is preying on a bad situation here.  Elisha ponders how he can help her.  When he asks the woman what she has, she initially says “nothing” but then says “I do have a little oil”.  This was a very destitute family.  From man’s perspective, there was not much hope here.  But Elisha has a plan to leverage God’s power to rectify the situation.  He instructs the woman to “go up and down the street and borrow jugs and bowls from all your neighbors”.  Do you see this picture guys?  Here is a woman worried that her kids will be snatched as slaves and Elisha is asking her to go up and down the street collecting empty bottles and jars.  She was to then “come home and lock the door behind you….pour oil into each container, when each is full, set it aside”.  She knew how much oil she had – not even one jar full.  How was that going to fill up these containers she was supposed to go collect?  Fortunately she didn’t allow the logical to overcome her action.  Check this out – “she did what he said”.  This is step one to receiving God’s blessings men.  We have to act!  We have to obey.  We have to do what God says.  And she did – she went up and down the street collecting, locked in, and poured.  “When all the jugs and bowls were full” – it worked exactly as Elisha had said.  But check out what happens at this point: “Then the oil stopped”.  Do you see it?  God’s blessing ended at the edge of her faith.  He was faithful to fill every jug and bowl she had faith to go get.  When that ended, so did the flow of oil.  How far would God have gone?  Would He have run out of oil?  I think not.  He would have kept the oil flowing forever had she been able to secure that many jars.  The limiting factor was what she was able to bring to the party – not what God was able to fulfill.  This is a key truth guys – God has not limits – it is our faith and action that normally is the limiting factor.  Have you stopped God’s oil from flowing in your life?  Do you end His blessing by not believing what He can do?  I might have even hesitated to go get any jars at all.  After all, it didn’t make sense.  She knew exactly how much oil there was and didn’t need another jar to hold it.  But she set the example – trust and obey – and then was able to watch God do exactly what Elisha had said.  We serve the same God today.  He will do the same things in our lives.  We just need to trust and take action when He leads…………