Come empty

Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.” (2 Kings 4:3-4) 

 

                 This was the word from the prophet Elisha to a widow who was so poor and in debt that she and her sons were about to be sold into slavery for the money they owed. In desperation and in faith she sends her sons to ask all her neighbors for whatever container she could borrow from them. Gathering the containers together in her home, she took the last small remaining bottle of oil and began to pour it into the assembled vessels. The prophet would not do this for her; she had to step out in faith herself. Her heart was beating fast as she began to pour, the oil flowed out of the small bottle and into one of the borrowed containers, and it kept on flowing.... By a miracle, through the promise of God, the laws of physics were temporarily suspended, and a small bottle of oil filled many larger containers. The oil miraculously flowed as long as the vessels were gathered, assembled, and ready. When we stand in faith, assemble in order, and ready to receive, they will see God moving on our behalf.

            

                  One important requirement here was that the vessels had to be empty. When we are so full of anything – whether it be blessings, pride, arrogance, bitterness or life itself going just the way we planned- we will not find the need to stand in desperate faith. Have you ever found yourself feeling like you did not have it in you to take the next step, the next breath? Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror wondering how you would live out the next day – crying in desperation that somehow an act of God will lift you up and give you enough strength to put all the shattered, broken pieces together to move on for another day – even if it is for the sake of your children, the people who depend on you, who did not deserve to be left empty? Jesus came to fill our emptiness and if we surrender in His presence, clinging desperately with our last breath, when we find ourselves tired, worn out and spent.....He is willing to fill you to the brim; to the point that you will never lack, never fall short, never look for others or things to fill your void. God can work miracles through our emptiness – as long as your faith is ready to receive His filling. His strength is perfected in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

                    The widow shared her problem with Elisha and waited for an answer. She didn’t move on to the next listening ear. If we allow God to speak truth into our lives and wait patiently in His presence, He will speak to us. And when he speaks, we should be willing to obey- no matter how ridiculous it may sound. In this passage, the widow was already in debt; but the prophet asked her to go ‘borrow’ again. And she obeyed. We may think what little we have left – may it be the breath in your body – can never be used for His glory. But if God asked you to do something and you step out in obedience, He is able to make that little sigh of breath that is left, to become a whirlwind that is so powerful to reach the ends of the earth. He is able to break open living waters from the inside of you that you never imagined existed, that could rush into a stream around the neighborhood, to the city, to the country and even to the world, touching lives, allowing trees, plants & shrubs to grow and flourish wherever it flows, bringing dead bones to life, and changing hearts forever. What we have may not be enough, but with God’s hand on what little you have left, you will run though troops and leap over walls.

Written by: Anu Varghese