Page 44 - Livin Light Issue 81

Wednesday July 19 - Shared burden “...ask all your neighbours...” 2 Kings 4:3
The story of the poverty-stricken widow now takes a fascinating turn, and one which has much to teach us. Having identified that the bereft widow merely owns a small residue of cooking oil, the prophet now encourages her to involve her neighbours: “Go and ask all your neighbours for loads of empty jars!” (2 Kings 4:3).
The reason for this tactic will become apparent later, but first let us observe the principle of involving others, like the young boy with his picnic lunch in the feeding of the 5000. It requires humility and grace to be vulnerable before others and even to be indebted to them for kindnesses shown. Yes, let’s always be ready to offer kindness and generosity, ‘especially to the household of faith’ (as Paul put it in Galatians 6:10), but there are times when we also need to be humble enough to receive from others.
In Acts 20:35 Paul quotes something Jesus said (but is not recorded in any of the gospels): “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” That is true, but sometimes it is more difficult and challenging to receive than to give. So the widow had to take the difficult path of asking for help. Giving and receiving are all part of living as the body of Christ, with its necessity to live in generosity and humility before God and other people.
Generous Father, help me to gladly receive from you and to be generous and humble with those about me. Amen.
Thursday July 20 - Completeness “...each jar is filled...” 2 Kings 4:4
As the prophet Elisha continues to instruct the widow, the reason for all the jars now becomes apparent! In a remarkable miracle, God made the small residue of oil keep flowing until every available jar was filled to the brim. The little oil was multiplied, not only meeting her family’s immediate needs, but also providing an income from the sale of the excess. Her needs were met completely: she could feed her family, pay off her debts and keep her children safe and in the shelter of her home.
God’s response was not a half-measure, nor grudgingly supplied; it was complete. In Matthew 7:7-11 Jesus told a parable about God’s generosity. He made the point that God meets our needs and requests with great kindness. In the punchline to the parable Jesus concluded: “How much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” This was proven by the widow’s request for help. She laid out her catalogue of woes to God’s representative Elisha, and through simple obedience to his directions, God met her needs completely.
Too often we wallow in our troubles because we fall at the first hurdle – not turning to God: ‘You do not receive because you do not ask’ (James 4:2). As Joseph Scriven put it in his hymn, ‘What a friend we have in Jesus’: ‘...take everything to God in prayer’.
Heavenly Father, help us to trust in your kindness and lay all before you in prayer. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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PRAYER FOR TODAY