Wednesday, February 25, 2009

OPPORTUNITY IS NOT A LENGTHY VISITOR -- Devotional for February 25, from "Good Seeds"

So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. Soon every container was full to the brim! "Bring me another jar," she said to one of her sons. "There aren't any more!" he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing. (II Kings 4:5-6)

This passage contains a thought I deliberately omitted in the February 23rd devotional reading: “Bring more jars, boys!” “There aren’t any more, Mom!” And instantly the heretofore non-stop oil spill…came to a stop. Lesson #3: Container determines content. Let’s play with some what-if’s here: What if the widow’s sons were uncooperative or lazy and returned with only two or three containers? We know the answer: The household would wind up with two or three jars of oil. But what if the boys were particularly ambitious (and the neighborhood exceptionally replete with jars, and their owners wonderfully generous), so that 50 containers were collected by our dynamic duo? Again, we know the answer: There would be a HUGE supply of oil, with not one empty jar in the house! Can we find an equivalent scenario in our everyday lives? This was no everyday occurrence; it was a miracle of God. Nevertheless, several well-known principles come to mind: “You get out of life just what you put into it.” “You reap what you sow.” “Cast your bread upon the waters, and soon it will come back to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over.” Now, these laws work for any man, regardless of his belief in God, or lack of it, right? But there is a spiritual application here that we dare not miss: “The depth of your faith determines the breadth of God’s blessings.” It may be laziness that prevents you or me from diligently serving the Lord, maybe in reaching out to others with material sustenance or spiritual bread. Or, it may be something far worse than neglect or bad habit – it may be unbelief! Did those two sons believe what Elisha said, or were they just doing what they were told? Obedience to parents is always honorable, but an obedient faith linked to their faithful obedience would have impassioned them to redouble their efforts. Lesson #4: In this life, there’s always a time limit. The mother was able to keep pouring the oil from her original flask as long as there was something to pour it into. When the jars stopped, the oil stopped. Is there a time limit for us, to get the gospel out? Yes. Doors of opportunity close. People move away or die. Are there some more jars you need to go get – while the getting is good? Turn off the T.V.! Get on the phone! Get in your car…and go to it!

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