We are in our second week of our series ‘Elisha and the Widow’s Oil’ as we go through 2 Kings chapter 4. Last week, we saw our sister in faith facing a mountain of debt, with her very sons about to be taken. Talk about a crisis! But we also saw how God sees our deepest needs and offers rest. Today, we’re looking at what happened next.
2 Kings, chapter 4:3 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.”
Now, let’s put ourselves in the widow’s shoes for a second. You’ve just poured out your heart to this prophet, explaining your impossible situation. And his answer? “Go borrow some empty jars.” Not a loan, not a handout, but… jars? And not just a couple – he says, “Don’t ask for just a few!” Can you imagine knocking on your neighbor’s door? “Excuse me, could I borrow all the empty containers you have lying around? No reason, just a prophet thing.” It sounds a little… unusual, right? Maybe even counter-productive!
But here’s the thing: God prepares for us steps to miracles. That’s our message for today. Elisha didn’t just snap his fingers and make oil appear. He gave the widow a plan. A series of actions she needed to take. Go ask. Don’t ask for just a few. Go inside. Shut the door. Pour. Set aside. Each step, seemingly small on its own, was crucial in unlocking the miraculous provision God had in store.
How often do we pray for a breakthrough, for a miracle, but we overlook the practical steps God lays out before us? Maybe it’s a nudge to have a difficult conversation. Maybe it’s an urging to step out in faith and start that thing God’s been putting on your heart. Maybe it’s simply being obedient in the small things, trusting that God has a bigger picture in mind.
Think about your own prayer life. Has God ever asked you to do something that seemed a little… jar-gathering-esque? Maybe it didn’t make perfect sense at the time. Maybe you even thought, “Really, God? This is the answer?” But just like the widow, our obedience in taking those steps, even the seemingly strange ones, is often the very thing that positions us to receive God’s incredible blessings.
And that brings us to the heart of it all. What was God ultimately preparing through this miracle? He was providing for this widow, yes, but He was also showing His power and His love. And that’s what the Gospel is all about. God’s plan for salvation was an empty-jar plan: Christ’s empty tomb prepares our eternal salvation. Just like God had a plan for the widow’s provision, He had the ultimate plan for our redemption through Jesus. The tomb, though it seemed like defeat, was God’s perfect step towards our eternal miracle.
So, as we go into our time of prayer today, I want us to focus on this: Pray for faith to act on God’s instructions, even when unclear. Let’s ask God for the courage to take those sometimes-unconventional steps He puts before us. Let’s pray for discernment to recognize His leading, even when it doesn't fit our preconceived notions of what a miracle should look like.
Just like the widow had to gather those jars in faith, we too are called to step out in obedience, trusting that God’s plan, even when it seems a little “borrow-some-empty-jars” crazy, is ultimately leading us to a place of incredible blessing and provision.