2 Kings 4 tells of a widow who has a debt to pay but only a small jar of oil left to her name. A debt so insurmountable, creditors were coming to take her sons into slavery as reckoning. In the first verse of chapter 4, we begin to understand that the widow is in a state of desperation, while we may completely miss a miraculous work unfolding through the pressing of her faith. Circumstances do not determine our future but they can reveal where our dependence rests.
Here in 2 Kings, we find a widow’s dependence on the Father to be revealed. She did not seek help from the kings, the selected authority of the time, or even her own earthly solutions. Rather, she intently sought the help of Elisha, a prophet sent and anointed by God. Simply put, she chose the help of the King of kings, the help of the Father.
The comforts to which we run, the securities we cling to in this world, and the solutions we are prone to cultivate by our own strength reveal our often hollow independence from God. How often do we bring our well-planned solutions to God, only asking Him to confirm the ways in which we have planned our circumstances to be resolved? In doing so, we miss the opportunity for revelation. For God’s answers to what we face. We miss the opportunity to live in a posture like that of the widow. A posture in which her faith was expanded, God’s provision was supplied, and His promises prevailed.
In verses one through six, we see Elisha give the widow detailed instruction to gather up many vessels, go into the privacy of her home, and pour into the vessels from her original jar of oil. Imagine this beautiful act of obedience as the desperate widow gathers numerous vessels. She returns to her home and, in faith, begins pouring from her jar. One by one, each vessel is filled. And in verse 7, the glory, goodness, and covering love of the Father is revealed as we read, “Go sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.” His provision not only covered the debt of the past, it extended a hopeful future to the widow and her children.
The Lord offers this kind of provision; one in which our debts are settled and what remains is life. A provision of mercy, as our sins were reconciled through the cross and resurrection of Jesus, and a hope that will sustain us. He is the provision which meets our deepest needs – a reminder that His presence is etched upon our days.
May we, like the widow who exhibited complete dependence and utmost faith in the Father, seek His help, remain patient, and choose to receive His provision rather than the confirmation of our withering solutions.
