II Kings 4:1-7

The woman had nothing left. Creditors were coming to take her boys as payment for the debt. Think about the poor woman – her husband was dead, she was in debt, her boys were about to be taken.

‘Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.”’ (II Kings 4:1). The woman cried out to Elisha – God’s man on the ground. Have you got an Elisha in your life you can turn to? Are you an Elisha? Can someone in the community turn to you in a crisis? As a church we are a family – bound by the love of a family, bound by the blood of Christ. Our churches need to regain the community’s home. We need to become the Elisha of Roch in our work, for our neighbours.  Also, we need to become the Elisha for each other. Have gospel love at the heart of your church. You’ll never need gimmicks, be driven by gospel-centered life, by God’s word. Be a place where people are happy to come to at all times.

The love of God will draw people in. That’s what evangelism is. We don’t offer what the world offers. As a church our priority in our community is to be an Elisha. How should we respond to people who cry out to us? The widow is in the time of greatest need. Elisha asks her what she has. Interesting. He reminds her to look back at how God has blessed her. Initially she says she has nothing, then pauses and says she has a little oil. We too have a little oil. Don’t let the stresses of life control us, cloud our view of what God has done for us. Humanly speaking, the church is dying in Wales – empty pews, people not interested. We must not forget our responsibility to thank God, to thank Him for the little oil we have.                                   

It was only God who could pay this woman’s debt. It was only when she could totally rely on Him in faith that God poured out His grace to her. When we realise we are incapable of saving ourselves, He will pour it His Spirit to you. Whatever doubts and anxieties you carry, God’s merciful Spirit will never dry out, just take your empty jars to Him. Pray in desperation, knowing that without God we have nothing. 

Do your neighbours know you go to church every week? If they don’t know, they won’t come to you in times of need. People have stopped coming to church.  We need to become the Elisha of our community. We must acknowledge the facilities we have, remain responsible for the pot of oil we have.  We must go forward in faith and He will pour out all we need.