Her husband was dead, she was out of money and a creditor was coming to take her and her two boys away as slaves. That is when she sought help from the prophet Elisha.
“How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” Elisha asked.
“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a little oil”.
Elisha then told her to go to all her neighbours and borrow as many empty jars as she could. She was then told to go home and start pouring the oil into the jars.
As she began to fill the jars, the oil miraculously continued flow until she had filled every jar that she had in the house. God provided for her in her time of need and she was able to sell the extra oil to pay her debts.
Here is the interesting part of this story for us: The scripture says, “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” (2 Kings 4:6).
Did you get that? The oil stopped flowing after all the jars that she had gathered were full. So, what would have happened if she had been able to get four more jars? How about 14 more? What about 40 more?
The scripture seems to say that the only thing that limited the amount of oil that she received was her capacity to receive it. In other words, the blessing stopped because of her not because of God.
So that leads me to another question, “How many jars do we have?” In other words, how have we prepared ourselves to receive God’s blessings? Are we getting ready and gathering what we need? Are we putting ourselves in a place where God and use us and work through us?
What if God is just waiting to hear, forgive and bless you? What if he really is able to do “more than anything we can ask or imagine?” (Ephesians 3:20)
Maybe it is time to start listening and getting ready.
Do you have any empty jars?
Monday, January 26, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
It is Never too Late
In twelve years, she had seen every doctor that she could think of and, though she had “spent all that she had” (Mark 5:26), she still had no relief.
Her condition was not just inconvenient, it was incapacitating. Under the Jewish law, a woman who was “subject to bleeding” was considered “unclean”, or an outcast. She could not go to worship. She could not go to social events. Essentially, she was cut off from everyone.
That is why she snuck in to see Jesus. She thought, "If I can just get close to him, touch him, maybe I will be healed” and she was right. One touch and twelve years of misery and loneliness were gone. Her health and her life were restored to her in an instant.
At the same time, Jesus was on his way to help someone else. A man named Jairus had a twelve year old daughter who was very sick. He hoped that Jesus could help his little girl and so he came and made the request.
Not long after arriving, word comes that Jesus’ help is no longer needed. “Your daughter is dead… Don’t bother the teacher anymore” (Luke 8:49).
When Jesus hears this, he turns to Jairus and says, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed” (verse 50) and she was. Jesus went to Jairus’ house and, after everyone had given up hope, he raised that little girl from the dead (You can read all the details in Luke 8:40-56).
It is important to note that, in each circumstance, Jesus talks to them about “Faith”. He tells the woman, “Daughter, your faith has healed you”. I can see him putting his hands on Jairus’ shoulders and saying, “Don’t be afraid; just believe!”
Both Jairus and the woman receive “happy endings” because they had faith enough to believe that Jesus could do something in their circumstances.
Do we have a faith like that? Do we know and believe that God can do “immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine”? (Ephesians 3:20)
I do not know what will happen and I cannot guarantee “happy endings” (at least not the ending we want), but I do know this: It is never too late to bring your life and your problems to God.
When God, his son and his Spirit are involved, anything can happen.
Just ask Jairus.
Her condition was not just inconvenient, it was incapacitating. Under the Jewish law, a woman who was “subject to bleeding” was considered “unclean”, or an outcast. She could not go to worship. She could not go to social events. Essentially, she was cut off from everyone.
That is why she snuck in to see Jesus. She thought, "If I can just get close to him, touch him, maybe I will be healed” and she was right. One touch and twelve years of misery and loneliness were gone. Her health and her life were restored to her in an instant.
At the same time, Jesus was on his way to help someone else. A man named Jairus had a twelve year old daughter who was very sick. He hoped that Jesus could help his little girl and so he came and made the request.
Not long after arriving, word comes that Jesus’ help is no longer needed. “Your daughter is dead… Don’t bother the teacher anymore” (Luke 8:49).
When Jesus hears this, he turns to Jairus and says, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed” (verse 50) and she was. Jesus went to Jairus’ house and, after everyone had given up hope, he raised that little girl from the dead (You can read all the details in Luke 8:40-56).
It is important to note that, in each circumstance, Jesus talks to them about “Faith”. He tells the woman, “Daughter, your faith has healed you”. I can see him putting his hands on Jairus’ shoulders and saying, “Don’t be afraid; just believe!”
Both Jairus and the woman receive “happy endings” because they had faith enough to believe that Jesus could do something in their circumstances.
Do we have a faith like that? Do we know and believe that God can do “immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine”? (Ephesians 3:20)
I do not know what will happen and I cannot guarantee “happy endings” (at least not the ending we want), but I do know this: It is never too late to bring your life and your problems to God.
When God, his son and his Spirit are involved, anything can happen.
Just ask Jairus.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Four Letters for 2009
The phrase “What would Jesus do?” (Often abbreviated “WWJD”) became popular in the 1890s (as the subtitle of a book by Charles Sheldon) and again in the 1990s. It is a reminder that in any situation we can choose to act the way Jesus would.
As 2009 opens, may I suggest a slightly different phrase to consider, “WCJD - What could Jesus do?”
You see, if I ask, “What would Jesus do?” then the focus is on me. I have to decide how to react and do something. However, if my question is, “What could Jesus do?” then Jesus and his power become the focus. Instead of me trying to fix things, maybe I pray and trust God to do something. Instead of worrying, maybe I end up trusting and believing that God is working. If I am bringing everyone and everything to Jesus, then who knows what could happen?
Luke chapters 8 and 9 make up one interesting section of this gospel. It begins with Jesus calming a storm on the Sea of Galilee (8:22-25). He then heals a demon possessed man (8:26-39), a sick woman (8:40-48) and brings a dead girl back to life (8:49-56). These chapters show Jesus solving one problem after another. He cures people, feeds people and demonstrates the power of God.
Now, I do not know what Jesus will do in your life. Maybe he will change your circumstances, or maybe he will help change you so that you can handle your circumstances. Maybe things will get better, or maybe he will give you strength and patience to deal with things as they are. However, if we believe the word of God, then we need to believe that anytime Jesus is brought into the equation, somehow things change for the better.
“What would Jesus do?” is a good question because I need to make sure, as best I can, that my actions line up with Christ. However, “What could Jesus do?” is a more encouraging question because when Jesus shows up anything can happen.
In 2009, I am going to pray for and hope in the things that Christ could do. How about you?
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).
As 2009 opens, may I suggest a slightly different phrase to consider, “WCJD - What could Jesus do?”
You see, if I ask, “What would Jesus do?” then the focus is on me. I have to decide how to react and do something. However, if my question is, “What could Jesus do?” then Jesus and his power become the focus. Instead of me trying to fix things, maybe I pray and trust God to do something. Instead of worrying, maybe I end up trusting and believing that God is working. If I am bringing everyone and everything to Jesus, then who knows what could happen?
Luke chapters 8 and 9 make up one interesting section of this gospel. It begins with Jesus calming a storm on the Sea of Galilee (8:22-25). He then heals a demon possessed man (8:26-39), a sick woman (8:40-48) and brings a dead girl back to life (8:49-56). These chapters show Jesus solving one problem after another. He cures people, feeds people and demonstrates the power of God.
Now, I do not know what Jesus will do in your life. Maybe he will change your circumstances, or maybe he will help change you so that you can handle your circumstances. Maybe things will get better, or maybe he will give you strength and patience to deal with things as they are. However, if we believe the word of God, then we need to believe that anytime Jesus is brought into the equation, somehow things change for the better.
“What would Jesus do?” is a good question because I need to make sure, as best I can, that my actions line up with Christ. However, “What could Jesus do?” is a more encouraging question because when Jesus shows up anything can happen.
In 2009, I am going to pray for and hope in the things that Christ could do. How about you?
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).
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