Borrowing By Faith

Borrowing By Faith 

II Kings 4:3-5 NKJV

[3] Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. [4] 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.” [5] So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. 

Its very significant that the Prophet Elisha had asked her what she has in the house. On this earth, you have to have something that the Lord can touch to multiply. Check the pattern in Mat.14:13-21 where five thousand were fed. So this woman was instructed go out and borrow vessels that the Lord could use to bless her. Imagine the irony. She doesn't have, and you tell her to go and borrow more. " Excuse me God, Im already in debt". " Yeah, borrow more , after all thats what your family knows how to do". 

   Sam Oluwatoki in 2013 shared an inspiring word on this. " These vessels were instruments the Lord used to bring joy into the life of this widow. Not only that they were instruments the Lord used to cause a turnaround in the situation of the widow. The Lord used these vessels to inject life into the dead situation of this widow. Without those vessels, her oil would have remained in the small jar and she would have ended up losing her two sons. One important thing I want to point out is that after these vessels were used to work a mighty breakthrough in the life of this widow, they were dumped and we never heard of them again. These vessels were only relevant when oil was in them; immediately the oil was sold and the debts were paid, they were discarded to the background. Many today are like these borrowed vessels". May you constantly contain oil. May you never be discarded. If the oil in you is used, get filled again. That's how you remain useful.

   What Elisha said to the woman has overtones to our present day.  Someone explains it this way: " If you will help yourself, I will help you. This is the best way to help the poor or anyone who needs help. The welfare system today shows the failure of doing for others that which they can do for themselves. It often contributes to their delinquency (2 Thessalonians 3:10). What he told her to do was not as easy as it seemed at first! Imagine the neighbors’ criticisms and laughter as they speculated on what she would do with empty vessels!" If you're ever going to do something in this life, you will have to do it by faith. That's what she did. She borrowed by faith. Good morning.