Tuesday, 21 February 2012
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The Victorious Life of Joshua Part 58
Part of our responsibility is to find the resources that He has already provided. We can ask Him for directions towards that end, and must listen to really hear the answers. However, we are responsible to creatively utilize the resources He provides. The widow woman that Elisha helped is an example of this.
2Ki 4:1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.
Her problem? Her husband died before the debts were paid off. Many women have this issue, but even worse in this day and age, is that many husbands just leave, divorcing the wife, and leaving her burdened with not just the responsibility of the children, but also the bills.
2Ki 4:2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
The first thing Elisha asked her was, “What do you want me to do for you?” You must know what you want specifically, prior to making your requests known. Ever notice in some town meetings, or even when disc jockeys are discussing something and attempts to answer a question from the audience; which people they basically disregard, or simply brush off, or ignore and move on from?
It’s always the person that comes in there with 9 yards of personal gripes on a toilet roll that rolls up the aisle towards the speaker as they begin to read off the list; or the person who is telling a personal problem without ever getting to the end or to the point; or, the person who simply tells their situation without asking a question that allows a relevant answer to a problem.
You must know what you want when you come to an authority figure with a request. Then Elisha says, “What do you have in your house that can be used? Her answer speaks of her mindset, which dictates as well as demonstrates why she was in that situation.
In her self-deception perception or perspective, she had nothing, but a pot of oil. The fact that she was unaware that she had oil stored away spoke about her mindset as well. She had a valuable resource at hand, yet until Elisha asked her, she didn’t even recognize that she had this in her house.
God had already given Elisha a prophetic word to give her. Her mindset needed adjustment, because it was a poor person's mindset. She never recognized her own resources, because of her mindset was focused on her circumstance, but she actually had a resource she could use to better her situation.
2Ki 4:3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, [even] empty vessels; borrow not a few.
2Ki 4:4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.
He gives her some instructions and leaves her to do it. So the question is, when God (or the man of God)tells you to do something; after you have come with a request to change your situation; despite whether or not you can see the reasons, the value, the purpose or what-have-you; are you going to follow His instructions or not?
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