From the passage, we could see how the widow was blessed by God through Elisha. We can learn principles about how we too can have God’s blessings. These are the conditions that have to be present.
Cry out for help
(1) 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.”
Crying out to God for help is a starting point if we want God’s blessings.
Chronicles 4:8 There was a man named Jabez who was more distinguished than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. 10 He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and extend my lands! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request.
Here was a man named Jabez, whose Hebrew name sounds like the word for “pain” or “distress”. He was so named because his birth had been painful. How would you like to be reminded your whole life that you had been a pain? It must be very sad for Jabez. Yet he was not willing to accept the lot for his life. He cried out to God to bless him and deliver him from pain.
It is not egocentric or selfish to ask God to bless us. Even an earthly father would not like it if his children never comes to him for anything. God wants us to ask for good gifts. He will bless us if we do.
Have to be obedient
(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.”
The widow followed instructions closely. She was asked to do a “silly” thing and she did it. None of the blessings would have flowed to the widow if she had disobeyed Elisha’s instructions. Obedience is an important step to receiving God’s blessings. If you had missed out on God’s blessings, reflect on your life to see whether you had been disobedient. If you want more of God’s blessings, are you prepared to remain obedient to His calling and word, in every area of your life?
Must have faith that results in action.
(3) Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.
It takes faith to collect many jars. She may be tempted to think. Would God bless me so much? Maybe a little oil but to fill so many jars?
It also takes faith to start pouring. What if only that little oil flows out? Would I not look stupid to be stuck with so many empty jars?
It is necessary to have faith to receive God’s blessings. The widow would have received nothing if she did not have faith and refused to obey Elisha’s instructions. We see that the genuine faith that she has resulted in an action. Faith must result in action. We can claim to have faith all we want but this faith is not genuine unless it is consistent with our actions.
Do you have faith that God will bless you? If so, do you still live your life brooding as if God is not going to bless you?
God uses whatever little we have to bless us.
(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 little oil.”
The widow had nothing except for a little oil. And that was sufficient for God to use to bless her with. God did not introduce something new into the situation. I believe He wants to tell us that if we commit what we have to Him, He is able to multiply that to bless us.
There was an interesting story about how the world famous Kentucky Fried Chicken was established. Colonel Sanders reached a low point in his life when he faced financial difficulties. Out of desperation, he wrote out a list of desperation, he wrote out a list of whatever little “assets” he had left. One of them on the list was a family recipe for chicken. The rest of the story is history.
What do you have at the moment? A little money? Some skills? Some knowledge? Commit them to God and ask Him to multiply you with them.
Blessings of a fellow Christian.
(2) Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”
The widow approached a man of God for help and that was the start of her blessings. There is indeed power in agreement. Jesus taught that if we were to agree in prayer, it will be done for us.
(Matthew 18:19-20) “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. {20} For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
Do you have an area you want God to bless you with? Why not get a fellow Christian to pray with you?