When Life is Hard

Scripture is clear, we dont work our way into God’s favor. But when we hold up the mirror of the Word up and see what it shows us about ourselves, and that we are lacking, we correct the issue!

We take the commands of Jesus out of love. We move from I have to, toward I WANT TO! Fasting...

2 Kings 4:1–7 NKJV

A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.” So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” 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.” 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. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”

Sometimes life is hard like it was for the widow. Sometimes life is hard because the people around me dont behave like they should. Sometimes life is hard because of my own choices.

No matter why life is hard, we have a savior who said “be of good cheer, even though this world is troublesome, I have overcome the world”!

We take the commands of Jesus out of love. I dont have to, I WANT TO!

What I have is more than what I think I have; even if I have nothing.

Elisha asks what he can do. Not the kind of ‘how can I help you’ we get when going to a store. That question is asked by someone who is sure they can help us. Not the same.

Elisha is confessing he has nothing to help with. After all, the prophets have been hiding in caves. Ahab has been trying to root them out. There were 7,000 who refused to bow to Baal and INCENSED ol Ahab.

‘silver and gold have I none, but what I do have I give you. Stand up...’

Nothing there at all…except a little oil.

I am but an empty vessel! Fantastic! That’s the second best thing we can be! When we are empty vessels we can be available to be filled. When we are full of ourselves or busy-ness or sin we leave no room for the Holy Spirit to fill us.

The answer is not in you (God gave us each other)

She was told to borrow pots from her neighbors. The great thing about this life is that it is designed by God to be lived in relationship with others!

1 Corinthians 12:31 NKJV

But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

In a boiler room, it is impossible to look into the boiler to see how much water it contains. But running up beside it is a tiny glass tube, that serves as a gauge. As the water stands in the little tube, so it stands in the great boiler. When the tube is half full, the boiler is half full; if empty, so is the boiler. How do you know you love God? You believe you love him, but you want to know. Look at the gauge. Your love for your brother is the measure of your love for God.

Shut the door behind you

In a boiler room, it is impossible to look into the boiler to see how much water it contains. But running up beside it is a tiny glass tube, that serves as a gauge. As the water stands in the little tube, so it stands in the great boiler. When the tube is half full, the boiler is half full; if empty, so is the boiler. How do you know you love God? You believe you love him, but you want to know. Look at the gauge. Your love for your brother is the measure of your love for God.

Green, M. P. (Ed.). (1989). Illustrations for Biblical Preaching

The story is told of Oliver Cromwell who, when faced with a shortage of precious metal for coins, sent his troops out to find some. They reported that the only precious metal to be found was in the statues of saints standing in the corners of churches. Cromwell said, “Well, melt down the saints and put them in circulation.”

J.C and Jean Matlock

Get alone with God

Get alone with God

Green, M. P. (Ed.). (1989). Illustrations for Biblical Preaching

Get alone with God

Get alone with God

Shut the door behind you. There is great value in shutting out the world for a time. In quieting yourself and your spirit and getting alone with God. Even in letting your children see (and participate with) you in that process.

BUT have we filled our prayer closets with junk? Is there no time for us to stop and be still before God any more?

Less about quantity of minutes, hours. Luther and Spurgeon 4 hours to start the day vs 15 minutes and

Jesus showed the disciples the importance of getting alone with God throughout His time on earth. Many times Jesus ‘went to a solitary place’ or ‘went up to the mountain’ to pray. In the garden of gethsemane He urged the disciples to pray while He prepared for the coming events.

His answer will match His greatness

Unbelief will keep His answer from showing up.

When you ask, pray believing…

Her faith increased in the obeying: she had the full expectation that the oil would keep flowing. “bring me another jar” As long as there was something to put it in, the oil would keep flowing. When there was nothing to receive it, the oil stopped.

What a beautiful picture of the Holy Spirit: as along as we are a vessel ready to be filled, He keeps pouring. In order to have room to receive, we must empty out what He has poured in. Brings us right back around to those relationships!

His answer, though, does not match my worth. I’m not earning what He gives. The way for Him to give is behind me. I’m relying on the sacrifice of Jesus, the righteousness He bestows on me, for His grace to fill this vessel!

Saving Private Ryan: ‘Earn This’ and ‘Tell Me I’m a Good man’

Scripture is clear, we dont work our way into God’s favor. Acceptance by God is not based on what is in front of me and working toward that, but on what is behind me. Accomplished by Him for me. Its not a carrot dangling to get me to do more but a motivation of THANKFULNESS that compels me.

When that truth begins to bear fruit in my life, I move from ‘I have to’ to ‘I WANT TO’!

Love your neighbor? I WANT TO

Pray without ceasing? I WANT TO

Turn the other cheek? I WANT TO

Dive into the Word? I WANT TO