We’re in Week 3 of our series going through the story of 'Elisha and the Widow’s Oil'! From Second Kings Chapter 4. Are we ready?
Last week, we saw the desperate widow obey Elisha's slightly crazy-sounding instructions. "Go, borrow jars!" he said. "Empty ones—and not just a few!" Can you imagine her and her boys scrambling around the neighborhood? Knock, knock. "Hey neighbor, got any empty jars? Pots? Anything that'll hold oil?" They probably felt a little nuts, gathering this random collection of dusty, empty vessels based purely on a prophet's word.
Check out what happens next, 2 Kings 4, verse 5: She left [Elisha] and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.
So they get back home, shut the door – just them, the jars, and one little flask of oil. She tips the flask... and it fills the first jar. Okay, cool. Then the second. Then the third. It just keeps pouring! Jar after jar after jar! This isn't just a little top-up; this is a full-blown gusher of provision happening right in their living room! They're probably scrambling, grabbing the next empty jar as fast as they can. Until... this moment.
Continuing in verse 6: "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."
Did you catch the crucial part? What made the miracle stop? Did God run out of oil? Nope. The oil stopped flowing only when they ran out of empty jars to receive it! The supply didn't end; the containers did.
And here’s the powerful truth for us today: God's supply doesn't run out; our containers do.
God’s ability to provide wasn’t the limiting factor in that room; it was the number of available vessels. The potential was there for even more oil, if only there had been more jars!
So often, we are the ones who put the limits on God's provision. We limit Him with our small prayers, our lack of expectation, our focus on the scarcity we see instead of the abundance He holds. What are your "jars"? Maybe it's praying for patience, but only expecting enough to get through the next hour. Maybe it's praying for resources, but only believing for the bare minimum. Maybe it’s praying for strength, but already feeling defeated. We look at our empty "jars"—not enough time, not enough energy, not enough wisdom, not enough finances—and we forget we serve a God whose supply is limitless.
The widow brought all the jars she could gather, and God filled every single one. He met her exactly at the level of her faith and obedience, demonstrated by the number of jars she brought. He was ready for more! God's supply doesn't run out; our containers do. Let’s stop bringing tea cups when God wants to fill tanker trucks!
And this points us beautifully to the ultimate, never-ending supply. The grace of Jesus: Jesus’ grace overflows and meets every need. His grace is infinite! His sacrifice on the cross wasn't a 'limited time offer.' There are no limits to His grace, forgiveness, and power. We just need to bring our empty selves to Him, ready to be filled.
So as we go into our individual prayer time: Pray for trust in God’s abundance over our lack. As you pray—for yourselves, your families, our church, our world—catch yourself if you start focusing on the limitations, the emptiness, the 'not enough.' Shift your perspective. Trust that His resources never run dry. Pray like you believe He has more than enough oil waiting to flow.