How many empty jars?

The question of today is how much of God will I allow in my life? This morning I read the story of the widow who was about to lose her sons to the creditors. She cried out to Elisha the prophet. He said, “How can I help? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” Isn’t that great? He asked her what she had! He didn’t tell her to do a long list of things, hard costly things. FIRST, he asked what she had. Well it turns out she only had a bit of oil. She was really down to the bare minimums at home. Elisha heard what she said and then he told her to go to her neighbors and ask for empty jars and don’t just ask for a few…. Hmm, she was instructed to go to her neighbors and ask for help. What a novel idea. Why is it we don’t ask for help when we need it? Pride, fear or lack of knowing the people around us? So once she got the empty jars she was to take them home and pour oil from her jar into the empty jars. It doesn’t say she argued with him or even asked him how she was supposed to fill more jars with only a little left in her jar. It just says she and her boys did it. The Bible then says when there was not a jar left the oil stopped flowing. At that point she went back to Elisha who told her to sell the oil, pay off her debt and live on the rest. The oil did not run out until ALL the jars were full. How many jars did she get? We don’t know. All we know is that she asked for help, received instructions, followed instructions and lived with her boys!

This makes me think, how many jars would I get if the Lord told me to do that? When would I decide I had gathered enough? The flow of oil only stopped when she couldn’t receive anymore. God invites us to grow our trust in him. To do that we need to gather empty jars for him to fill. Matthew 13:58 says, “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” WE limit God. Check out the story of the widow in 2 Kings 4:1-7. In what areas of your life does God want to grow your faith? Go get some empty jars!