God Blesses Faithfulness

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:7

Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest."

Insights: Paul wrote in his letter to the church of Philippi, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (4:19),”  I want you to notice that God supplies your needs ACCORDING to His riches, not OUT of His riches.  In other words, God’s riches are an endless supply.  There will never be a time He will run out of being able to bless you when you have been faithful to Him.  Now having laid that foundational statement notice today’s verse.  God blessed this woman’s faithfulness.  She believed God would do exactly what He had promised to do and she POURED.  She poured until there were no more vessels to be filled.  Remember from yesterday that it was not until the last vessel was full that the oil stopped flowing.  Because of this faithful action we can see the Lord telling her to go and sell all of this oil and pay her family debt off.  Now we have no idea how many vessels this woman filled, but what we do know is that there was such an abundance of oil this woman was able to live on the money she still had after she paid off her debts.  Talk about an overflow of blessing!  We need to begin examining our hearts and lives, Beloved.  I pray each of us are faithful like this woman.  I pray we are able to look back and remember the times God was faithful to us in our obedience back to Him.  God is a God who desires to WOW His children.  He wants us to be so blown away by His gracious provisions in our lives that we can’t help to declare His glories to the world.  Do you think this woman was silent about the Lord’s gracious provision and blessing?  I just can’t image that being the case.  I believe she went back to every person who lent her a vessel and told the story of God’s grace.  It is my prayer as you recognize the provisions of the Lord you also will shout from the mountain tops that your Redeemer lives and is a rescuer to those in need.  He delivered you from your bondage of need and is worthy of praise.  Beloved, count your many blessings and name them one by one.

Questions:

1. In what ways has God blessed you this week?
2. Do you regularly count your blessings and name them one by one?

Prayer: Father, forgive me when I take for granted Your marvelous gifts of grace to me.  Help me to cultivate a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving as You pour Your blessings out on me.  Amen.

Our Actions Prove Our Faith

Happy Happy Thanksgiving!  Have a blessed day with your families and/or friends!

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:5-6

So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they were bringing the vessels to her and she poured.  When the vessels were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel." And he said to her, "There is not one vessel more." And the oil stopped.

Insights: Let me quote Michael Catt’s book The Power of Desperation again this week.  He wrote, “The widow didn’t call the local paper to come and watch.  She didn’t get on the local radio or television station to describe the jars.  She did what she was told to do and shut the door. . . .  The key to getting hold of God is to get alone with Him.  God seldom meets us in a crowd.”  Notice she shut the door.  It is referenced three times in this passage.  If we are going to live lives that bring honor and glory to God, then they have to be lives of faith.  The only way to grow our faith and to truly hear what the Father has to say to us is by getting alone and having our daily quiet time.  Again, let me remind you that this is a real historical event.  The Lord God literally performed a miracle in this woman’s life.  At the same time, oil in the Bible is often times associated with the Holy Spirit.  This woman shut the door and let the Holy Spirit fill her life full of His presence and blessing because she walked in obedience to the Lord’s commands.  The last thing I want you to understand is that her actions of going to the neighbors for the vessels, shutting the door and pouring the oil proved what she really believed about Elisha’s command.  This woman did believe the words of the prophet, and through the prophet, the words of God.  Because she did believe, she obeyed and watched God perform a miracle in her life.  Beloved, we need to quit doubting the commands of God and obediently say, “Yes” to Him and let Him work the details out in our lives.  No matter what you are facing, I promise you it will be better for you to prove your faith with obedience than to try and solve the issue yourself.  Let God perform a miracle as you pour a little oil into the empty jars of your life.

Questions:

1. What do your actions say about your faith?
2. When was the last time you actively and whole-heartedly abandoned yourself to the will of God?

Prayer: Father, forgive me when I fail to walk in obedience, but hear my cry now and change my faithless heart into a courageous heart which lives by faith.  I desire for my life to honor You.  By Your grace may it be so.  Amen.

God Tests Our Faith

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:3-4

Then he said, "Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few. "And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out into all these vessels, and you shall set aside what is full."

Insights: Hebrews 11:6 informs us that it is impossible to please God without faith.  One of the attributes of faith is that it always presses us outside of our comfort zones.  A lot of times the commands of God don’t even make sense to us.  I can only image when Elisha, the spokesman for God, told her to go to all of her neighbors and borrow EMPTY vessels from them that this widow thought, “What good is that going to do me?”  In our modern day mind we would have thought Elisha would have told her to go and get all of the FULL vessels from her neighbors and have an “oil sale” to raise money.  After all, that is the way God works, right?  Obviously, the answer is no.  That method is not the way the Lord always works.  In life we face all kinds of things.  The woman in our reading lost her husband and was now facing the bill collectors.  I am not saying God caused her husband to die in order for Him to test her faith.  What I am saying is God will use any situations in which we find ourselves to test our faith.  Sometimes the Lord puts us in those situations (i.e. Adam and Eve).  Sometimes the Lord allows Satan to put us in those situations (i.e. Job).  Sometimes the Lord allows us to put ourselves in those situations (i.e. Ananias and Sapphira).  The point is no matter how the situation comes about, the Lord will use it to test our faith.  He gave this woman the answer to her problem, but would she accept His answer of provision.  After all, the answer the Lord gave sounded pretty crazy.  Beloved, let me encourage you to respond positively to whatever the Lord asks you to do.  I promise you in the end you will be glad you did.  Every time you respond with a “Yes, Lord!” your faith grows; your trust and dependence upon Him grows; your boldness and ability to walk faithfully after Him grows.  Every time you are stronger and better than you were before.  Trust the Lord, step out of your comfort zone, and give glory to the Lord as you walk by faith!

Questions:

1. In what ways is God presently testing your faith?
2. What has He specifically asked you to do that you are reluctant to obey?

Prayer: Father, I understand that You will always press on me to move beyond my comfort zone and walk in the realm of faith.  Help me in my weakness to trust You and to bring You glory as I respond in faith.  Amen.

God Focuses on What We DO Have

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:2

Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil."

Insights: Let me quote a section from Michael Catt’s book The Power of Desperation.  “Elisha asked her, ‘What do you have in the house?’  He didn’t offer financial counseling.  He asked her simply to tell him what she had.  Desperate people don’t argue, debate, or dialogue.  They do what they are told to do when God speaks.  God was about to reverse her situation because she was willing to acknowledge her desperate need.  Most of us would have missed the miracle because we would have argued about the method God was using.  After all, when you’re at the point of no return, what’s a little jar of oil going to do to rectify the situation?”  Catt’s quote helps us to understand that God sees our situations differently than we do.  You will recall from yesterday that we as people often times focus on what we don’t have.  God on the other hand focuses on what we do have.  In this case this woman had a little oil.  Now the amount she had would have been about the amount allowed for an airplane flight, but it was what she had.  I want you to understand that this was a real historical story.  There really was a little jar of oil.  At the same time, I want you to understand that oil in the Bible is often times associated with the Holy Spirit.  In our lives, God sees the Holy Spirit in those of His children who are born again.  So, no matter what your situation looks like, if you are His child, He sees what you do have which is His Spirit.  The second aspect of Catt’s quote I want you to notice as he writes about this passage is the miracle.  We often times do get hung up on the method of the miracle, but God is in the miracle business and He is going to do it whatever way will bring Him the most glory.  Beloved, I encourage you to change your focus.  Stop seeing only your problem or need and start seeing the God capable of rescuing you from your problem or need.  By faith live with an expectant heart for His answer to your specific situation.  God desires to amaze and wow you with His majestic presence and power.  To Him be the Glory!

  

Questions:

1. Are you beginning to see things as God sees them?
2. Are you ready for the Holy Spirit to do a miraculous work in your life?

Prayer: Father, open my eyes to see what You see and help me to recognize my need as an opportunity for You to perform a miracle.  When the miracle comes, give me the joy and pleasure of proclaiming Your great name to the world.  Amen.

The World Focuses on What They Don't Have

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:1

Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves."

Insights: Verse one reveals to us how the world looks at problems.  Our focus is often times on what we don’t have and not on the One who can meet our every need.  Now I do not wish to minimize this woman’s situation.  She has just lost her husband whom, we presume, she deeply loved.  He was a prophet (for modern day comparison: he was like a preacher) and apparently not very wise when it came to finances.  He left his wife with a huge debt and now the bill collectors had begun to call.  Now in this time in history, it was in the bill collector’s rights to take this woman’s children as payment for the debt and put those children into the slave market.  At this point in the story, this reality is all the woman could see.  She was about to lose everything she really valued in this world.  Her husband was gone and now her children were about to be gone as well.  I have a dear pastor friend who often says something to this degree, “The only people who are candidates for a miracle are those in need.”  Well, this woman is in terrible trouble and desperately in need of a miracle.  Her focus may be only on what she presently does not have (the money to pay the debt), but she at least knows who to run to in her desperation.  She cried out to the prophet of God.  What you need to understand is that in those days, God spoke through the prophets.  So, by going to the prophet, this woman was really going to the Lord God and crying out, “Help me!”  Beloved, when you are facing crises in your life, I pray your focus gets lifted off your circumstances and quickly rises to the Lord God.  He is the only One who can meet your need.  Lift your eyes to the heavens from where your help comes and watch the Lord provide a miracle in your life.  Then go and tell others what the Lord has done for you!

Questions:

1. When situations arise in your life that are less than desirable, where does your mind tend to focus?
2. What obstacle are you presently facing that you need the Lord to intervene and perform a miracle?

Prayer: Father, I so often fall prey to negative thoughts when circumstances do not go as I wish.  Help me to recognize You are still a miracle working God and desire radical life changes in those with whom You are interacting.  Help me to recognize Your involvement in my life. Amen.

Because It's a New Day We Live in the Word and Abide with God

Scripture: Joshua 1:7b-9

be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Insights: The last two truths I taught Sunday morning go hand in hand.  Verses seven-b and verse eight deal with spending time in God’s Word on a daily basis.  In fact, God commands Joshua to meditate on His book day and night.  This one truth is the clarion call in my ministry.  If we are going to grow in our relationship with the Lord our God, then we must spend time with Him every day and that means in His Word, the Bible.  If you are unwilling to spend time with the Lord every day in His Word, then you will be one who often times falls prey to being a “nah” say’er or an “It can’t be done” kind of person.  The reason is because you will be walking this Christian life out in your own power and in your own strength and you will fail.  The last point, as I stated, goes hand in hand with the first.  What I want you to notice in terms of emphasis from verse nine is that God was going to go everywhere Joshua went.  Because of God’s presence, Joshua did not have to tremble or be dismayed at the enemy.  Joshua was going to do his part of abiding with God by spending time with Him and living in His Word.  Joshua did not do this perfectly because he is a sinful human being, but God did do His part perfectly.  He did go wherever Joshua and the people of Israel went.  God’s promise still holds true to us.  Jesus said in His great commission that He would be with us always even to the end of the age.  Beloved, what a promise we can hold fast to!  May you strive this day to abide with the Lord God and allow Him to direct your path.  I promise you it will be worth whatever the cost!

Questions:

1. Have you been having a consistent daily quiet time alone with the Lord?
2. Do you think about the Lord throughout the day and maintain an abiding relationship with Him?

Prayer: Father, thank You that You desire a relationship with me.  Thank You that You sent Jesus to make it possible for us to have an ongoing and abiding relationship with the Lord. Amen.

Because It's a New Day We Live Strong and Courageously

Scripture: Joshua 1:5b-7a

Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. "Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. "Only be strong and very courageous;

Insights: Now that we know the time period in which we need to live, we must turn and look at how we actually live in that time period of the present with a hope for the future.  Today’s verses give us the first ingredient to such a life.  Notice that this verse is not a suggestion.  Two times in these verses and one time in verse nine God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous.  There is a task we have been called to accomplish and each and every day it will take strength and courage to walk obediently with the Lord.  On Sunday I warned the people that if they were “nah” say’ers or “It can’t be done” kind of people, then they need to go to the church up the road.  We at First Baptist Church Bowling Green are not going to be such people, but rather we are going to live by faith and in obedience to the Lord God as we live strong and courageous lives.  Notice also with me the first line of encouragement God gave to Joshua.  He told him that He was going to be with him just as He had been with Moses.  Now Joshua had seen God do amazing things through Moses’ ministry.  It is a fairly predictable assumption that Joshua was encouraged by these words of the Lord.  I think that part of the reason God gave this kind of encouragement was because we as a people, in our old sinful nature, are “nah” say’ers and  “It can’t be done” kind of people.  Joshua was scared to face these enemies and easily could have fallen prey to that old nature, but being told that God was going to be with him encouraged Joshua to take the next step.  Beloved, the Lord is doing the same thing with us.  If we will but pause and listen, God is telling us that we can courageously and with strength charge the new territory for His kingdom and He is going to be right there with us.  Are you willing to charge the enemies gate with us?

Questions:

1. Are you a “nah” say’er or an “It can’t be done” kind of person?
2. Are you a person who is living life full of strength and courage because of your faith in the Lord God?

Prayer: Father, You have commanded me to live a life of strength and courage.  Move in my heart and transform me into that kind of person.  I want my life to bring You glory.  May it come to pass quickly Lord. Amen.