Daniel 3-4
1 John 5
“The wife of a man…cried out to Elisha, ‘Your servant my husband is dead…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?’” 2 Kings 4:1-2
What do we have? 2 Kings 4:1-7 tells us a story of a widow, whose husband was from the company of the prophets, during the time of the divided kingdom. She had no financial security because the legal system in Israel, at that time, did not allow her to declare bankruptcy. Under the Mosaic law, her late husband’s creditor was fully within his rights to enslave the debtor and the debtor’s children until the year of Jubilee in order to work off the debt.
In desperation, the widow found the prophet Elisha to relay her predicament. Elisha asked, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” Did we notice that Elisha invited the widow to consider not what she no longer had but what was still left? The widow answered, “Your servant has nothing there at all, except a small jar of olive oil” (2 Kings 4:2). The olive oil that she had was not like the cooking oil that we use to make our fish and chips, it was likely oil that was kept in a small vessel used only for anointing; we know this because her husband was from a line of prophets and this was probably his oil.
Like the widow, how often have we heard someone say something like, “I’m so tired. I have nothing left” or “The money is just not there” or “We’re running out of time.” If we refrain from the perspective of assessing what we do not have but focus on what we still have, we learn to live with less in a way that assumes a lens of provision. In other words, if we assess that there is not enough money, how might God be directing us to steward this budget reality in a new way? Instead of saying “I have nothing left, in terms of energy” we could say, “I have ten good minutes to dedicate to that conversation that needs to happen at home.” Rather than the perspective that we do not have enough time, what if we said, “With the time I have left, how might I focus on this one goal or one area that God has called me to and matters to me?” instead of trying to be everything to everybody?
Returning to the story, when the widow answered, “Your servant has nothing…except…”, the widow did not realize what she had until Elisha prompted her to think not what she lost but what she still had. What do we have? As we assume a lens of provision, instead of counting what we do not have, may we give thanks to God for what we still have.
Gracious Father, thank You for Your provision in my life. I may not have much, but what I do have I give thanks to You for it. May I use what I still have for Your kingdom, for Your glory.
1 John 5
“The wife of a man…cried out to Elisha, ‘Your servant my husband is dead…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?’” 2 Kings 4:1-2
What do we have? 2 Kings 4:1-7 tells us a story of a widow, whose husband was from the company of the prophets, during the time of the divided kingdom. She had no financial security because the legal system in Israel, at that time, did not allow her to declare bankruptcy. Under the Mosaic law, her late husband’s creditor was fully within his rights to enslave the debtor and the debtor’s children until the year of Jubilee in order to work off the debt.
In desperation, the widow found the prophet Elisha to relay her predicament. Elisha asked, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” Did we notice that Elisha invited the widow to consider not what she no longer had but what was still left? The widow answered, “Your servant has nothing there at all, except a small jar of olive oil” (2 Kings 4:2). The olive oil that she had was not like the cooking oil that we use to make our fish and chips, it was likely oil that was kept in a small vessel used only for anointing; we know this because her husband was from a line of prophets and this was probably his oil.
Like the widow, how often have we heard someone say something like, “I’m so tired. I have nothing left” or “The money is just not there” or “We’re running out of time.” If we refrain from the perspective of assessing what we do not have but focus on what we still have, we learn to live with less in a way that assumes a lens of provision. In other words, if we assess that there is not enough money, how might God be directing us to steward this budget reality in a new way? Instead of saying “I have nothing left, in terms of energy” we could say, “I have ten good minutes to dedicate to that conversation that needs to happen at home.” Rather than the perspective that we do not have enough time, what if we said, “With the time I have left, how might I focus on this one goal or one area that God has called me to and matters to me?” instead of trying to be everything to everybody?
Returning to the story, when the widow answered, “Your servant has nothing…except…”, the widow did not realize what she had until Elisha prompted her to think not what she lost but what she still had. What do we have? As we assume a lens of provision, instead of counting what we do not have, may we give thanks to God for what we still have.
Gracious Father, thank You for Your provision in my life. I may not have much, but what I do have I give thanks to You for it. May I use what I still have for Your kingdom, for Your glory.
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