I am still learning this balance between relying on God and doing my part.
“They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.” 2 Kings 4:5b
You’re probably very familiar with the story of the widow and her oil. (Take a minute to read the whole story in 2 Kings 4:1-7) Here was a woman who desperately needed God to show up. Her husband was dead, her debts were piling up and men were on their way to sell her sons as slaves. Things were bad.
She goes to the prophet Elisha for help and he asks her a simple question, “What do you have in your house?” (v2) All she had was a little jar of oil. It wasn’t much, but God used it to perform a miracle and meet her needs.
What strikes me about this story is that little phrase in verse five, “and she kept pouring.” After the first few jars were filled she could have decided that she could get by on that and stopped. But she didn’t. Elisha had told her to ask the neighbors for a lot of jars. In faith she kept pouring, and God filled every single one.
I am still learning this balance between relying on God and doing my part. We show up, tools in hand, but He does the heavy lifting. God will provide, but there’s always something for us to do as well. God invites us into the miracle.
I often think of faith as this great, huge thing but I’m learning that faith is more often the tiny steps that I take. It’s that moment when I stand up and say, “OK God, I’ll follow you there” –even when, especially when, it’s not where I wanted to go.
What are you facing today? Where do you need to keep pouring?
Father in Heaven, I know that You are able to do abundantly more than I can imagine or ask for. You have provided for me in the past and I believe that You will not forget me. Be with me in my fear. In the moments when I worry about how I am going to fix things remind me that Your hands are on it. Remind me that I don’t need to find all the answers, I just need to focus on listening to You and doing the things that You’ve asked me to do today. Thank you that we are in this together. Give me the faith to keep pouring today. In Your name I pray, amen.
By Claire Colvin
Used by Permission
Further Reading
Follow Us On: Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Pinterest