This post was first shared around June 20th, but it’s been on my mind all morning as I read the story of the widow’s oil in my devotion this morning. I think someone, including me, needs this reminder.
Are you limiting God?
I recently heard a story of a man who went fishing. While he was fishing, whenever he caught a big fish, he would take out his ruler and measure it. If it was big, he would throw it back and keep the smaller fish. This continued for a while, until the onlooker couldn’t take it anymore and had to ask the question. Why are you throwing back the big fish and keeping the little ones? His response: I only have an 8 inch frying pan. This story got a lot of laughs, but it got me thinking about one of my devotions this week about the widow’s oil.
In 2 Kings 4, the wife had lost her husband, and now his creditors were coming to take her two sons as slaves. She went to Elisha, and he wanted to help. He asked her what did she have in her house. Her response, ‘your servant has nothing here at all…except a little oil.’ 2 kings 4:2 NIV. Elisha told her to go around and ask all her neighbors for empty jars, and made sure to caution her not to just ask for a few. He continued to tell her that once she was done collecting them, that she was to go inside and shut the door with her and her sons. She did as she was told. And the bible says, ‘they brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.’ When she finished the last jar, she asked for another one, and was told there were no more. It was only then that the oil stopped flowing. This widow was able to sell the oil to pay their debts, and live off what was remaining.
Now imagine if she was like the man at the beginning of the story. Because she is limited by the fact that she only has a drop of oil, that she only collects a few jars from her neighbors. This story would have been far different. So it is in our own lives. Sometimes we get so caught up with what we can see, that we try to limit God to the here and now and what we can see or imagine. This is not how our God works. We are told that He is able to do immeasurably more than what we can even think of asking. What are you asking God for today? Are you limiting Him and His mercies?
Lord, help me to not be limited in what I ask for. Help me to stand in faith that you are able to provide for all my needs according to your riches in glory. Help me to trust that you keep your promises, and I can stand assured that whatever I ask for according to your will, will be granted. And while I’m waiting, help me not to lose patience, as I’m continually reminded that your timing is perfect.