2 Kings 4:3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ex 24, John 3, Job 42, 2 Cor 12
BIBLE STUDIES: 2 Kings 4:1-7
In our bible studies we read the story of one of the wives of the
sons of the prophet. This woman was facing serious challenges, she was
in big debt and her husband was dead. To worsen her situation, the
creditors threatened to take her two sons (the only source of her joy)
as slave. She ran to Elisha for help and that one asked her if she had
anything in her house, something the Lord can touch? You see whatever
the Lord touches begins to multiply as we see in the case of Jesus
feeding five thousand men not counting woman and children, Matthew
14:13-21. She confessed that she had a small jar of olive oil so Elisha
asked her to go and borrow some empty vessels and pour her little oil in
them. She did as she was told. Her oil filled the vessels and she sold
them to pay her debt.
Let us look at these vessels that were borrowed a bit closer. 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.
Through them the Lord touches the life of people. Through them the Lord
wins souls. Through them the Lord meets the needs of other believers.
Do not grow wings because the Lord is using you. Do not get carried
away, the fact the Lord is using anyone is not a yardstick that their
standing is perfect with God. In Numbers 22:30 we see the Lord warning
Balaam through a donkey. If the Lord can use a donkey- an unclean animal
to warn a prophet, He can use anyone .After the Lord spoke through the
donkey, we never heard of the donkey again. Who are borrowed vessels?
They are the people who do not practice what they preach. They encourage
people to be humble but they are not humble. They talk of giving to God
but they never give. They are the ones you will see talking of
evangelism 24 hours but they never evangelize. Galatians 6:7 says be not
deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he
also reap. The end of a borrowed vessel is not always good because they
are usually relegated to the background.
Prayer point: Father, please give me the grace to be the hearer and doer
