By Will Marler
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July 7, 2022
Essential Oil 2 Kings 4:1 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.” In the fourth chapter of Second Kings, we learn of a widow left with a huge debt but only a small jar of oil to her name. A debt so insurmountable, her dead husband’s creditors were coming to enslave her sons as a reckoning. In the first verse, we begin to understand the widow’s desperation, but do we recognize the miraculous work unfolding through her faith. Circumstances do not determine our future but may reveal where our dependence lies. A Widow in Need Here we find a widow’s dependence on a miracle to be revealed. She did not seek help from a king or the governing powers, nor did she try to rectify the matter herself. Instead, she sought the help of her only connection to her creator, the prophet Elisha anointed by God. Simply put, she chose the only Savior capable of helping her in her plight. The comforts we seek, the securities we cling to, and the solutions we cultivate by our strength can create dangerous independence from God. How often do we devise well-planned solutions and present them to God? Then pray for Him to confirm our thought-out strategies to resolve our circumstances instead of releasing the problem to the Lord. Opportunity Lost In doing so, we could miss an opportunity for revelation. For God’s response to our struggles is a study in faith. In verses one through six, we find Elisha giving the woman detailed instructions to gather many vessels and fill from her limited supply of oil. Imagine this act of obedience as the desperate mother gathers all the vessels she and her sons could find. Let’s not miss the opportunity like that of the widow, whose faith was limited only by the number of vessels she collected. God’s provision is supplied by our readiness to obedience where His process allows His promises to prevail. Lesson Learned She returns home and begins pouring from her jar. One by one, she fills each vessel. Then the promise of the Father allows her to sell her abundance, pay her debts, and save her children from bondage. The Lord offers provision to all of us. One in which our debts are settled, and our lives are restored. His grace covers the debt of our past and extends to us a hopeful future. An abundance of mercy, as our sins are reconciled through the blood of Jesus. Only He is the provision that meets us where we live. Only he is the hope that sustains us. Only he is our essential oil. Not some counterfeit ideology, a government program, or a class offered in college, but a love that covers our deepest needs. He is the beginning and the end of our humanity, and there is nothing from man that should be in-between. Lord, help us to trust you. To exhibit complete dependence and obedience and the utmost faith in your plan. Help us choose your wisdom and knowledge rather than relying on my talents and resources, learning the importance of total dependence on You. Learn More If you would like more information about Legacy Acres, please contact us today . Will Marler is the executive director of Legacy Acres , a Christian non-profit that exists to provide emergency shelter to abused abandoned, and neglected children with no place to go.