Friday, July 14: 2Kings 4- What do you have?.

Elisha as a miracle worker is certainly established in this chapter. I was attracted to verse 2. The woman is in need, her sons are to be sold as slaves to pay off her debt after her husband’s death.  She comes to Elisha for help.

He asks 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” (2).

I love the question, what do you have in your house? God is going to help her. Elisha will do something, but he begins with what she has. There is something powerful about that for me. The idea that the Lord begins with what we have blesses me. It seems to be an illustration of how God often works… He takes our meager portion multiplies and/or refines it and then uses it for kingdom success.

I find myself being asked by the Lord, “What do you have, that I might use for kingdom advance?” Sometimes our simplest responses become just what God uses.

Years ago I attended a midweek service to interview a potential speaker. The service was packed, there were even chartered busses from another state bringing people to the service. After the service they served a simple meal. The pastor told me the meal was added to the morning events after he asked a woman what she could offer the Lord. She responded, I don’t have much but I love to cook. Thus a meal ministry was born which serviced the Tuesday crowd but more importantly, the elderly who needed a good meal, and others.

What do you have that you might offer to the Lord?

Only God knows what He can do with that. After all it was a partial jar of oil that saved those two boys from slavery and provided for this family for years to come.

Oh, Lord, I offer you my love of woodworking, teaching and preaching, a heart for the underdog… Use any of these or anything else I have for Your glory and honor. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

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