Tuesday, January 8, 2013

The Flow of the Oil

"A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.
So Elisha said to her, 'What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?' And she said, 'Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.'
Then he said, 'Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors - empty vessels; do not gather just a few.
And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.'
So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out.
Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, 'Bring me another vessel.' And he said to her, 'There is not another vessel.' So the oil ceased." 2 Kings 4:1-6 NKJV

This account makes me think of many things. With passages like this I want to say to God, 'Speak to me. I want the content of the miracle.' It might be easy to say the oil means this and the empty vessels mean that and then use it to justify my own hyper-spiritual doctrine... but no... I won't settle for that this morning. I want the miracle not the knowledge. I want the Spirit not just a principle.

I want to know God's ways not just His deeds.

Help God. Help. I have read this before but I haven't. It is new. Give me newness. I'll wait God and think and pray and ask. I am bankrupt like this woman.

I think of the prayer chain. The need and the borrowed empty vessels. The cancer, the foreclosure, the child with a fever... Can I cure... can any of us... who has the money to buy the debt and save the home? I can pray... we can pray. The humility of sharing the need and not keeping it private... many knees bowed as empty vessels... vessels that are empty but are made to hold something... links in a chain of faith. Faith that make God in Heaven smile. Let me spend my life as a link in many prayer chains. When I am old a still want to see the lists of needs... to put my hand in the hands of another on my right and on my left and pray together with God right there in our midst hearing and multiplying the worth of it.

I think of ministry and the flow of the oil. How God has been present at Bible study after Bible study and Church service after Church service. The momentum of passing the jars... fill one and take another... fill it and take another... thinking at times 'When will this run out? but it doesn't... there is a flow as long as there are people. God make me diligent to 'borrow vessels' to seek people. Not be so proud or comfortable that I would just settle for a few.

I could sit in my house in debt with just a little oil. I have been that person before. But no. I want the miracle. I need the person of Christ. God, Tear away the curtain of the natural and open Heaven. Pour out the oil. Jesus is my treasure. Let there be a flow of love. Reveal the keys of wisdom for the crippling debts this life imposes on people. I know nothing as I ought to. I see through a glass darkly. Help God... direction today... I am asking and believing... wisdom today... the prayer chain today... people today... provision today... love, mercy, hope today...

God, I won't close the book and put this scripture on the shelf. I want it open in my mind. Lay the template of it's meaning on me as the hours tick by. Reveal to me it's riches. It is like a vein of gold that stretches deep into the Earth. I have a barrel full but I am leaving my mark so I can find this place again.



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