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The Widow’s Olive Oil
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.” 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.” Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbours for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. 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.” She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 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. 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
Reflect
Note the widow’s desperate situation, but she goes to the prophet for a word from God. She acts in faith and obedience and sees God’s miraculous provision.
Throughout the Bible, oil is a symbol of Holy Spirit. People are anointed with oil and the imagery is also used to be anointed with the Spirit (see Isaiah 61:1).
We can be the channels that God pours His Spirit through into different situations/opportunities, if we act in faith and obedience.
Go Deeper
Each day, think of situations ahead of you and ask God to use you as His Spirit’s channel to bring His presence into that situation.
You might want to picture these situations as jars (like the one below), and visualise God’s Spirit being poured into the jar. Feel free to use this jar below as a visual aid for your prayers.
