September 28 A Widow's Care

2 Kings 4:1-8 Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves." 2 And Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?" And she said, "Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil." 3 Then he said, "Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. 4 Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside." 5 So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. 6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel." And he said to her, "There is not another." Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She came and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest."

  HERE is Elisha's miracle number 5 (Stay with me, and you'll see why I'm keeping count.) Perhaps this is his most tender, compassionate response to someone's need. He has cared for the city Jericho, the armies of Israel, Judah and Edom. Now he humbly responds to a widow's plea.

           Here are three lessons we can learn from this Scripture. First, be faithful prophets of God in your household. I use "prophets" here in the sense of teaching others in your home of God's Word. You are to do this two ways - one way is through the reading and understanding of the Bible in your house. The second way to be a prophet is to live each day as closely to the Bible's teachings as you are able. Strive consistently to more faithfully live in God's truth.

           The second lesson is this. Know that as you lead your family in God's ways, you will open doors of blessing into their lives. No, you can't control their response to God's Word, and you can't promise all things will be good for your children. But you will plant into them the seeds of faith that will bear fruit as it is further nourished in Jesus' Living Water.

           Third, seek the Lord for the impossibles. I keep saying this because we need to hear it and believe it. The impoverished widow went to an impoverished man. She didn't ask Elisha for money. She asked him for the Lord. The Lord then blessed her.

           Be one who seeks after the Lord's Word. Know deep in your heart, mind and soul these words Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.

           Living in God's right teachings, you will see God's blessings to care for you. This is not a promise of money or good health, but it is a promise of God's strength in you to meet any challenge that comes into your life, even the impossible ones.

Prayer: Lord God, gives us this daily our daily bread, the life bread for our bodies and our souls. In Jesus' name, amen.