2 Kings 4: 1-7

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. 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.”  She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 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.  She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

Recently I watched the Potter as she painstakingly, brick by brick tore down her old kiln. I wondered why but as I watched carefully I realized that she was not tearing it down but expanding it. She was refashioning it to make more and better pottery pieces, pots to be exact. 

On reflection, it occurred to me that God does that too.  He expands the kiln that He uses to refashion us.  Oftentimes we are at a certain level and we get comfortable with where we are and what God is doing in our lives.  What we often don’t realize is that during that time God is expanding our kiln so He can purify and test us so that we can be of greater use in the kingdom of God.  Then one day , often without warning, God takes us out of our comfort zone and we start feeling the discomfort of intense heat, pressure, desperation even.

In 2 Kings 4:1-7 we find one such woman.  She was the wife of a prophet, in the company of prophets.  Prior to her husband’s death, she and her two sons would have been well taken care of.  She perhaps was not concerned about how the household would have been funded. She was very comfortable.  Into this situation comes the death of her husband, injecting her out of comfort into pressure points of desperation: nothing in the house to eat, two sons to feed, creditors at the door wanting her sons as slaves. The only thing she has is a jar of olive oil.   Can’t you hear the cry of helplessness as she says “There is nothing there at all!”. God had expanded the kiln on her and turned up the heat.  She was being prepared for God for a transformational experience, to do bigger and better things, but she did not know that at the time, all she felt was the heat.  This situation was to teach her to rely only on God and not on others.  It is when she relies on God’s word that she sees Him miraculously making Divine Provision right in front of her eyes.   We must give it up for this woman as she obeyed God’s Word, put her shoulder to the wheel and poured oil into jar after jar until the jars ran out. 

There are times in our lives when like the widow with her two sons in 2 Kings 4, all we have left is a small jar of olive oil and the creditors are at the door.   Our comfort zone has disappeared, we are desperate and we have no idea how we are going to make it. 

Well God wants us to know that whatever uncomfortable situation we are in today is for His Glory. He is going to transform our small jar of olive oil to more than enough.  We will be able to pay our debtors and we will be able to live on the rest.  Hallelujah. God wants us to believe Him, take Him at His Word, not let the present circumstances in front of us scare us.  For He is God alone all by Himself, He holds the universe in His Hand.  No lesser gods can even come into His presence.  He does not want us to compare him with anything or anyone as He cannot be compared only contrasted.  Know that you have been engraved on the palm of His hand (Isaiah 46:16).  All the hairs of your head are numbered (Luke 12:7, Matt.10:30).  God knows you by name and nature.  When you go through the fire it will not burn you, you will walk freely and unbound, because the Master Potter that God is, he knows just the right amount of heat to give you, no less, no more. You will come out even stronger, beautiful than when you went in, because he is with you, just trust Him and take Him at His Word . 

So today as God puts you in His new expanded kiln and the pressure and fire get intense, know that Divine Provision will be made for you to move from mourning to dancing again.  For the More than Enough Lord God Almighty lives within you and is just waiting for you to cry out to and trust Him with all your heart.

PRAYER

Lord, we cry, HELP, Abba.  The pressure is great and we are out of our comfort zone.  In this new dispensation we don’t know how to act unless you give us instructions and make Divine Provision.  So we cast all our cares and daily burdens on you, knowing you will never leave or forsake or abandon us.  We leave all in your hands.  As we pray in the only name that is above all other names, Jesus Christ.  Amen.