So the question of the day is what has God put in your hand?
Maybe you are mightily blessed financially, only moderately blessed, or too broke to pay attention, but you have a gift of fixing things, or cooking, teaching, mentoring, technology, music, writing, speaking, organizational ability, multi-lingual ability, prayer; we all have things that God has placed in our hands that He yearns for us to use to glorify His kingdom in order that He might bless us far in excess of whatever we cheerfully give Him.
There is an interesting story in 2 Kings 4 concerning an old widow woman who went to Elisha and asked for help. She was dead broke and owed a lot of money and her two sons were going to be taken as slaves unless she could pay her debts. He asked her what she had, and she responded that she had a small flask of oil (which was likely used for anointing).
He then told her to “go borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors”. She did as she was told and then he told her to pour the small jar into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones. She filled every jar that she’d borrowed and when every last one of them was full to the brim, the oil suddenly ceased.
It is interesting to note that the miracle was given according to the measure of her previous faith in borrowing the vessels. She borrowed just enough vessels so that the excess oil was sold and provided money to pay the debt to the creditor and to provide for her future. Had she borrowed more, then certainly more would have been provided; had she gathered less, then less would have been provided.
So why did God give us this example?
Hmmm . . .
I believe He did so to encourage us to use whatever it is that God has put in our hands to further His work (in obedience to Him) in order that our faith will provide the key to unlocking the door that enables Him to multiply the blessings in our lives.
According to this example the old widow woman had to first act upon faith. She likely faced some awkward questions when she went to her neighbors and borrowed empty vessels and it took some effort on her part. She had to have faith as she poured her tiny jar of precious oil, (her one and only possession into a much larger clay pot).
As you surely know by now we are launching a nationwide effort to unify believers all over America with a goal of renewing our faith in God and restoring sanity and decency to our nation in order that our children and grandchildren remain free to worship and live in peace in a wholesome environment. We are conducting an event at Honey Lake Resort in just a couple of weeks to organize the effort and launch it.
God has assembled people from all over the country and it is expensive to conduct this event. Many have been faithful and we have raised all but $14,000 of the money required to conduct it. God laid it on my heart to ask you to use what God has put in your hands to help fill the rest of this vessel. If you can give a financial donation then please do so. If you cannot, please take a moment and pray that others will. If you decide to do nothing then that is entirely between you and God.
If you’d like to donate, click here.
Or send checks to: 1290 Honey Lake Rd. Greenville FL 32331
I can honestly assure you that I do not know of a more important movement going on in America to restore our country and consider it to be absolutely essential. If we don’t do something now to try and prevent the downward spiral of America, when will we? Time is running out. You have likely said or thought, “I wish someone would do something!” Well someone IS doing something and we need all of the support we can get.
Maybe the question of the day should be, “What has God put in your heart?”
Spurgeon had some commentary concerning this story of Elijah and the widow, “The vessels also had to be empty before they could be filled with oil. It did no good to bring the widow full vessels. “A full Christ is for empty sinners, and for empty sinners only, and as long as there is a really empty soul in a congregation so long will a blessing go forth with the word, and no longer. It is not our emptiness, but our fullness which can hinder the outgoings of free grace.”
We know that there are plenty of empty souls that need filling so let’s get busy gathering some vessels.
Mother Teresa once said, “I know God won’t give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish he didn’t trust me so much.” It was difficult for her to deal with the lepers and others; I can only imagine and shudder. I was feeling low myself about the difficulty of going into these prisons today still sick and croaking like a bullfrog, but God has placed a testimony in my hand and I intend to use it to glorify His name and what He has done in my life. I say this to encourage you in using what God has given you in like manner. The day is waning and we must work hard before it turns to night.
Don’t forget about Matt Blagg at Honey Lake Church this Sunday at 11 a.m.; you will be blessed! Have a great weekend and go to church on Sunday!
Eccl 7:12
Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor.
March 7, 2014 – Click here to listen