There is a remarkable story of God’s Grace in 2 Kings 4. This story chronicles the tale of a Woman who had married a Prophet. The Prophet loved God, feared God and served Elisha along with other prophets. He was loyal but lived a life beneath royal. For whatever reason, which we are not privy to, this prophet did a lot of borrowing while he was alive. Borrowings that put his entire Family in jeopardy after his passing. This is to tell us that The Anointing upon a man will not replace the pursuit of Wisdom and Sound Judgement in that man’s life.
A quick thought here; it wasn’t a very smart move to have borrowed huge sums from one single source. We know that after his passing, the debt profile was large enough for his creditors to negotiate the acquisition of his sons as slaves. It was bad enough he owed so much but If he had spread his risk among different creditors, perhaps none would have been huge enough to leverage such a massive negotiating power.
Moving along, this woman and her two sons were thrown into a very dire situation because of the Wisdom deficiency of their Husband and Father who happened to be a Prophet. But I’m glad they still sought the intervention of the Prophetic while in search of a solution. Thank God she didn’t think to herself “what has this prophetic Ministry brought us but misery and debt, why seek another prophet for solution? Maybe self-help could work this time!” Thank God she didn’t calculate the Prophetic away from her perspective. Sometimes, we are too calculated to be elevated! Too logical to believe the supernatural. Thank God she sought a prophetic Anointing and not another Broker, broker than she was.
Yes, we have such a massive gift from God called our mind, but at no point should it become the hindrance between ourselves and our next level. The woman sought the Prophet Elisha and what Elisha tells her is the crux of our conversation today.
“What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” “Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied.” — 2 Kings 4:2
After she narrates her story to Elisha, it’s amazing what Elisha says back to her; What do you have in your house? Really? “I left my house, fully aware of what I had before coming to meet you sir. Are you going to solve my problem or not? I’m not sure I like these trick questions. My sons’ lives are on the line.” I wouldn’t have faulted her if she retorted those words to Elisha.
Too many times we expect God to import the miracles from the outside. His answer to your problem is an answer you have always known all your life, only that you just never interpreted it as the answer! The answer may be that writing skill you never paid attention to, that contact on your phone, that ability you have to make people laugh. The answer will not come from God giving you, it will come from God showing you what you have always had all along. God doesn’t do much of outsourcing, He is more into bootstrapping! He will ask for what the Disciples have and they’ll bring him a little boy’s lunch, he’d use Peter’s boat, he’ll always show you that YOU are as much part of the solution as He is. Such a reassuring character of God. That He doesn’t always excuse you, shut the door behind Himself to perform the miracle, He gets you involved.
So she goes… I have NOTHING! Except for a Flask of Oil! How often do we label something so powerful, anointed and significant, as NOTHING? Simply because it’s in our house. If we found the same in our neighbour’s house, it suddenly looks valuable. But right under our roof, we fail to acknowledge it! The problem isn’t that you lack answers, the problem is that you’d rather they don’t come from you.
Elisha didn’t give the woman anything she didn’t already have, he only opened her eyes to it. The Church is not designed to be a Charity Organization like many project it to be, even though the Church ought to be big on Charity; The Church is a place for Equipping and Empowerment and nothing does that better than the eyes of our understanding opening to realities already furnished and locked up in our spirits. Glory to God! God is not about to bless you with something He hasn’t already blessed you with, but He just may be about to open the eyes of your understanding to see what you carry within your members, so you can pay attention to it. Elisha could have sorted her out with a huge cheque from his Ministry, but that would have gotten her dependent on Elisha. God doesn’t just want to help you get out of a situation right now, He wants to help you become sustainably empowered. Such a gracious God!
In conclusion, I’d like to leave you with this radical thought…
That broke woman’s Flask of Oil filled several Empty Jars with Oil without diminishing until there were no more Jars left to fill.
We live in a world where folks overlook their Flasks, hoping for a Jar, seeking to be a Jar,, because a Jar is bigger, finer and cooler. But that will never be the point. Bigger, better and finer is inconsequential here, the point here is who is filling who? The Flask is the One filling because the Flask carries The Oil! Oil is symbolic of The Anointing. That tiny little thing you have, carries the Anointing! You are Anointed for exploits, but it begins with acknowledgement. It begins with you counting what you have as an advantage and not an accessory.
Truly your little Flask Anointed by the Spirit can spread God’s Power, Beauty and Majesty throughout the world filling jars everywhere. Today, I pray that you find answers by Revelation and not by Desperation in Jesus Name.
Have a productive week ahead.
Dami Oguntunde
@damioguntunde