God is a very present help and He will bless you with what you already have to deliver you. He does not always use natural means to bless us. He masterfully uses little things to bless us in enormous ways. That is why we should be thankful for the seemingly insignificant things that we often overlook and count as nothing. If all you have is an empty bucket, God can bless your bucket and use it to turn your life around. Nothing is insignificant to God, and a little is a lot in His hands.
Miracle in a Consecrated Jar
There is a story in 2 Kings 4, of a woman who was married to a prophet. They had two sons, and like most families, they had debt. Her husband died, leaving her with no income. Therefore, she could not pay the debt they owed. According to Hebrew law, a creditor could sell the debtor and his children as bondservants to pay any debt owed. It meant she could potentially become a homeless widow.
Her sons were most likely juveniles, for had they been adults, they would have been able to work and pay the debt. I am sure she thought long and hard about how she could get the money to pay her debt. No doubt, she sold the contents of her house to feed her sons and herself. She concluded that she needed a blessing from God, so she reached out to the prophet Elisha for help.
When she told Elisha of her dilemma, he asked, “What do you have in your house?” She answered, “I have nothing but a jar of oil.” Elisha replied, “Go, burrow empty containers from your neighbors, but be sure to burrow more than a few. Then go home, shut the door, and pour the oil from your jar into the empty containers.”
She went home and did as Elisha instructed. God anointed the jar of oil, so the oil kept flowing. She filled container after container; when she had filled the last empty container, the oil stopped flowing from her jar. She hurried back to Elisha to tell him of the miracle. Elisha calmly said, “Now go, sell the oil, pay your debt, and you and your sons live on the rest.”
What Do You Have?
Difficult times make us increasingly aware of our lack. We focus more on the things we lack than the things we have. But everyone has something that God can use to bless them. So, in the middle of your difficult times, ask God to show you your “something” that He wants to use to bless you.
When Moses complained to God of his helplessness, God asked him, “What is that in your hand?” Moses answered, “A rod.” God used a piece of wood to bless a nation. In Luke 5, Peter had fished all night, and all he had to show for it were empty nets, but God blessed him and his partners with a boatload of fish. In Luke 6, all the little boy had was his lunch: two small fish and five (bun-sized) loaves of bread. But God blessed it and fed five thousand men, their wives, and their children. All this poor widow had was a little olive oil in a jar, but a little is a lot in the hands of God.
Elisha instructed the widow to shut the door when she poured the oil from her jar into the containers she burrowed. God wanted only the widow and her sons to see the miracle that He was performing. He wanted them to know without a doubt that He was the source of the blessing. God knew she would tell her neighbors when she returned the jars, and they would glorify Him. When God blesses you, He wants the world to know it came from Him. He is counting on you to tell others. So, the next time you say, “I don’t have anything,” put a comma there, and say, “I don’t have anything, but God…”
Consecrated Faith
Hebrews 11 says that anyone who goes to God for anything must have the faith to believe that He exists and then believe that He will reward you. Jesus said, when you pray, believe that you have already received the thing or things you asked of Him.
Not only did this “certain woman” in 2 Kings 4 believe in God, but she also had a relationship with Him because she was married to a prophet. For her, talking to Elisha was like talking to God. She had faith that God was the answer to her problem. I’m sure the widow had doubts when Elisha told her to burrow empty jars from her neighbors. She could have said, “You don’t understand, Elisha, I need money, not empty jars.” Instead of complaining, the woman was obedient. She did as Elisha instructed her. She believed that God would deliver her and followed His instructions precisely. When you pray, do you believe God will answer your prayers, or do you hope He will answer you? The Bible does not tell us to hope God hears us when we pray. It says we should believe when we pray and we will receive.
Be Obedient
Elisha told the widow to burrow more than just a few jars. The Bible does not tell us how many containers the widow burrowed, but obviously, she burrowed quite a few containers. I believe the number of containers she burrowed determined the amount of oil she received. That’s why it is so imperative that we are obedient to do whatever God instructs us to do when seeking a miracle. The Bible says, “According to your faith, let it be to you” (Matthew 9:29). The Lord does not always perform miracles like the one in 2 Kings 4 to help us pay our bills, but He does meet our needs if we trust and obey Him. If we give everything to Him, He can make a little go a long way.
The Source of All Blessings
It is possible to be blessed by God and not know it. Most of us work hard for the things we have. We went to school, got an education, found a good job, got married, and began the arduous task of raising a family. It may come as a surprise to some of you, but you did not accomplish those things by yourself. Your degree is a blessing, your job is a blessing, your family is a blessing, and all that you have is the result of God’s blessing on your life. God. If you trust in Him, He will use whatever you have in your house or your hands to bless you.