ILLUSTRATE
II. FINANCIAL FREEDOM IS ACTIVATED BY A STEP OF FAITH (4:3-6)
This young widow knew full well that the Mosaic Law indicated that children could be taken by force to alleviate a family debt by manual labor. She poured out her pain and anguish to the man of God and pleaded for an answer to her dilemma. Notice in these verses the steps of faith through which Elijah led her.
- Evaluate your condition
-Elisha asked, “what do you have in the house”(v.2)?
An inventory of gifts and possessions is wise. - Seek Godly advice
-She knew the source of God’s wisdom and asked for it. - Swallow your pride
-Elisha asked her to borrow from others the vessels she would need to begin a home business (v. 3). - 4. Combine work and faith
-God advised her to work and to trust Him.
Her display of faith was reflected in the number of jars she chose to borrow from others. God was preparing a growth spurt in her faith experience and was allowing her to determine the magnitude of that experience.
III. FINANCIAL FREEDOM IS RECEIVED IN ORDER TO ACTIVATE OUR GENEROSITY (4:5-6)
As she and her sons worked diligently, the flow of oil seemed never to end as they filled a multitude of jars with the valuable commodity which was certain to find its way to needy customers. The jars were filled which stopped the flow of oil into the jars. God responded according to her faith. At times, God sovereignly limits our income for perhaps several reasons.
- As all needs have been met -Philippians 4:18
- As our capacity to manage it is reached -Matt. 25 – The Talents
- As times of need better form character -Deuteronomy 8
- To prevent materialistic obsession -I Timothy 6:17
Ultimately God wants our dependency upon Him and He will stop at nothing to achieve His purposes within us. He can be trusted.