In 2 Kings 4: 1-7, we are told of a widow who comes to Elisha with a desperate situation. She had faced a health crisis resulting in the death of husband, and now faced an economic crisis which would send her sons into slavery. She was living her own version of 2020.
For some, the story of the widow feels familiar. We have buried friends and family and we have prayed with families wondering how long the savings account can survive a job loss. The future feels uncertain and hopelessness is reaching for the wheel. However, there is encouragement in the story of this widow.
Start with What You Have
Part of Elisha’s solution is one we see supported in Scripture countless times. God multiplies even the most meager offering, if we are courageous enough to surrender it to Him. He can work with very little to accomplish great things. That little bit of oil was all the widow had left and survival instinct would have said to protect it at all cost. She was willing to pour. She was pouring out her last hope in faith that God would provide. When we are in a hard season, practicing daily gratitude is vital. It is the act of mentally pouring out the oil each day, even if at the time, it feels like the jar is nearly empty. It opens our eyes up to tools at God’s disposal and opens our hearts to what He can do with it. In turn, we open our hands to courageously offer it to Him.
The Power of Community
There are a million ways God could have solved the widow’s problem, but Elisha’s solution for her required community support. She needed to gather jars from her neighbors and friends. Perhaps, he didn’t want to just fix her financial situation, but also cure any bitterness that may have crept into her heart. Each jar she gathered represented one more person who was for her, rooting for her success without demanding payment in return. So many times, when we are in need, we want to retreat. We don’t want to burden anyone else and we add loneliness to our struggle, which easily turns to despair. Don’t forget about the people around you, specifically your Church. Make the phone call, plan the Zoom, and connect with your Church family however you can.
Ask for a different ending.
The widow held on to just enough hope to ask for a different ending to her story. Her situation seemed completely hopeless as the world around her pressed in with their demands. However, she knew her God was one of freedom and that He did not abandon His faithful. The same God who had freed her ancestors from Egyptian bondage by parting a red sea, could surely intervene in this situation. She boldly presented her requests to God, through the prophet and God was faithful to provide a solution.
That same God stands ready and waiting to help us in our time of need. We need to be in God’s Word, reminding ourselves of who God is and what He can do in your life. Just as He didn’t leave the widow to flounder, He hasn’t left us. Through prayer, we can ask for what we need to survive a hard season, even if it is simply a different ending.
I believe this woman understood the heart of Romans 8:28 long before it was ever written. It says, “ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.” I believe knowing who God is, gives us the boldness to move forward when all feels lost. We can seek purpose and strength in hard times, knowing that we have a God who promises a different ending. It gives us the courage to pour.
Big dreams and brave hearts,
Jenn
