“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a little oil” (2 Kings 4:2).

Here in this Old Testament story we find a widow in desperate need. Talk about losing it all, here is a women in risk of losing even her children to her late husband’s creditors. That’s like having Visa come take your kids. With no hope left, and no where else to turn, she called on her husband’s past relationship to the prophet Elisha and looked to him for help.

Elisha first asked the widow what she had in her house. What? She asks for help and he sends her home? Sometimes what we need is right under our nose. Before asking others for help quite possibly selling a TV, extra car, or some household or personal item may be the first step. No matter how small an item may seem God can move mightily through it. This was the case with the widow.

The widow informs Elisha that she had nothing at home but a little oil. Although it didn’t seem like it was even worth mentioning, it was enough. In this case, the little she had in the oil department was going to be enough for a miraculous move of God’s provision. Elisha tells her to go and borrow lots of jars from her neighbors and begin pouring the oil she has into them. She would then be able to sell the oil and pay off her debt. Now, my response may have been more along the lines of, “do what?” But this little women does exactly what the prophet says and everything works out. Who would have guessed the small amount of oil miraculously multiplied until all the jars were full.

This may sound a little greedy, but have you ever wondered what would have happened if she would have gotten more jars. We will never know for sure, but my guess is all the jars would be filled no matter how many were collected. In God’s economy there is never a lack of oil, just jars.

It turns out that the widow’s obedience to the prophet’s words actually became her expression of faith in God. She took the little bit that she had and put it in God’s hands by doing what Elisha said. Notice that God didn’t provide her with the money out of nothing, nor did he change the minds of the creditors, both of which he could have done. She participated in the miracle. While what she did certainly did not cause the multiplication of the oil, God called her to be part of the solution. Just imagine what great miracle God could do with all that we have if we would put it into God’s hands.

Let’s not draw the conclusion that what this is saying is things will work out according to our own effort. This is not one of those motivational stories convincing us that we can do anything we set our minds to. Naturally speaking the widow was in big trouble. Her little bit of oil and whatever business smarts she had would not save the day. It was God that worked things out through Elisha’s words and the miracle.

As we struggle in whatever our needs might be, whether they be of a material nature like that of the widow’s situation, or a health need, a spiritual need, or a relational need, let us offer to God whatever little we have and trust Him to take care of the rest. I like the fact that God truly is recession proof.

You can find more writings by Pastor Steve Miller of New Song Christian Fellowship at: http://newsongspringfield.wordpress.com/