Elisha: Supplements

Are you overwhelmed? Do you have too many responsibilities? Are you facing challenges everywhere? Maybe you’re doing life on empty… Your Energy. Time. Faith. They’re all drained and nothing is left. Maybe, you’re that guy who owes so much money to student debt that you never believe you’re going to get out of it. Or you’re that lady who is in way over her head, to do far more than you possibly could. Maybe you are sitting at home, facing the emotional stress of friends, your parents, and your siblings and you’re so very tired. I know you know where you are and how you are feeling. But it’s quite obvious that you’re in need of supplies! The one thing I liked about Elisha was that he was always in full supply. In fact, most of his miracles for other people, dealt with him asking God for supplies that people just didn’t have. Let me tell you something you don’t know about this prophet that’s in this story. Nobody knows who he is! But, some really smart people, we call them scholars think that the guy they are talking about in this story is a prophet named Obadiah. Let me tell you about Obadiah– who, during the time of King Ahab and Jezebel hid and supported 50 prophets of God when they were on their rampage killing the prophets. We know this because God tells Elijah that there’s a prophet named Obadiah who was being O SO BAD by helping people while risking his life. Well, he had finally died and taking care of 50 people who are not your family is a difficult task and he probably had to borrow a lot of money and make some really crazy deals to keep his persecuted family alive. In fact, what we see historically is that many prophets/pastors are in financial trouble. Not because they lost all the money gambling but because in hostile and corrupt countries, prophets and pastors are often the first to have their economy cut, the first to be persecuted and the first to be forced to run. Just imagine having to run away because you’re doing what’s right. But now, the prophet is dead and the banker is coming to take his kids as slaves to pay the debt.  

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” 2 Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” 3 Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” 5 She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.” (2 Kings 4:1-7)

This woman is a grieving widow who lost her husband and the bills piled up. Worst of all, she wasn’t employable! Humanly speaking—she has almost no hope! Situations when you don’t have what you really want, God is what you really need.