ESOCS Devotional 15 June 2022
TEXT: 2 KINGS 4:1-17
MEMORY VERSE: “And Elisha said unto her, what shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, thine handmaid hath not anything save a pot of oil.” 2 Kings 5:14 KJV
0 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. 12 When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted lace ”
Have you ever been faced with an impossible financial situation? Maybe you had an overwhelming amount of debt and no way to pay it off. Maybe it wasn’t one “big” thing, but an accumulation of little things that sent your finances spiraling. Maybe you lost hope that you and your spouse could ever get on the same page about your finances.
Money is stressful. Even if you haven’t faced a dire financial need, you have probably experienced financial stress. It’s easy to get distracted by the needs, demands, and desires of today and lose sight of what the purpose of our money is supposed to be. There’s a story from the Bible, found in 2 Kings 4:1-7, that always encourages me when I find myself losing sight of what matters or getting distracted by physical needs.
It’s about a widow who was afraid of losing her 2 sons to slavery because she owed money to a creditor. She cried out to the prophet Elisha for help. He asked how he could be of help (2 Kings 4:2).
All she had was a small jar of olive oil, something common, not of extreme value. Elisha told her to go and borrow as many jars as she could from her neighbors. He instructed her to pour her oil into them. We’re not told what she thought about his counsel. If it were me, I would probably think he was a little crazy. I’d want to point out the small amount of oil I had and the impossibility of filling up dozens of other jars with just a few ounces.
But the widow trusted, obeyed, and witnessed a miracle of multiplication. Her bit of oil filled every vessel they had. When she told the prophet, he instructed her to go and sell the oil, pay the debt, and live off the rest. There are many of lessons we can learn from this widow’s obedience, but the bottom line is this: she followed the advice, worked obediently, and demonstrated faith. Then, God multiplied her efforts. God will always provide for us. But often, He asks us to step out in faith and do our part first. Our obedience or disobedience doesn’t change His character, but it can change our outcome.
Also, the great woman who showed kindness to Prophet Elisha experienced God’s blessings even though she did not request for anything. God blessed her with a son to show that He delights in blessing us (2 Kings 4:8-17). In all we do, demonstrate faith and work obediently and you shall receive God’s blessings.
- What is in your hand that you want God to multiply? Stretch it to HIM
- Lord, please bless the work of my hands and cause it to multiply, in Jesus name.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional here
FURTHER READING: Exodus 12:28–36; John 6:60–71; Revelation 1:1–6
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ESOCS Devotional 15 June 2022
