Ch4: Episode 1: The Widow's Oil: From Simple Faith to Supernatural Provision

0:00 Welcome to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast. I'm your host, Connie Morris, and we are starting a new series with Chapter 4, What is in Your Hands? From the Simple to the Supernatural. Today we start in episode 1, The Widow's Oil, 2 Kings 4, verses 1-7 So we're going to explore the profound impact of faith in our everyday lives, And today we will dive into the story of The Widow's Oil Coming again from 2 Kings 4, verses 1-7 So if you have your Bibles, get those ready as I continue with this introduction.

0:45 This powerful narrative, I'm going to read from the New International Version. You find your favorite version. This powerful narrative reminds us that what we have, no matter how small, Ma, that what we have, no matter how small, we become the source of the miracle, that that can become the source of the miracle if we entrust it to God. And so let's find out what was going on in this widow's life. And then we're going to do a backstory. And like I always do, I want to get into that widow's emotional state, what she was feeling, what was going on at that time of the Bible times.

1:33 And then we'll continue with the story. And so let's go to 2 Kings chapter 4 in the NIV translation. And mine's at the title of the Bible says the widow's olive oil. And so let's see what was going on with her life here. And it says the wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha. So we see that Elisha was a prophet. And so she was a wife of a prophet and said, your servant, my husband is dead. So she lost her husband and you know that he reverent the Lord, but now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.

2:25 Verse two, Elijah replies to her, how can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house? Your servant has nothing here at all, she said, except a small jar of olive oil. Elijah said, go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Sons, pour oil into all the jars and as much, okay, pour oil into all the jars and as each is filled, put one aside.

3:16 So she has a little jar of oil. Go ask the neighbors and gather all the jars. Don't go running your mouth. Just go get all the empty jars and then fill them up and then sell them aside. side. Follow the instructions. She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons, and they brought the jars to her, and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her sons, Bring me another one. But he replied, There is not a jar left. Then the oil stopped flowing. She went and told the man of God and she said, go and sell the oil and pay your debt debts.

4:04 And you and your sons can live on what is what? I can't say it right. You and your sons can live on what is left. So we see here that she had a little all I have is a little jar of oil. She said, go ask your neighbors for some empty containers and then go gather them up. Close the door behind you and just keep filling them up. And when they're all filled, come and talk to me. I love that. Close the door. Don't go talk to nobody else and go fill it up. Then he says, go sell this oil and pay your debt and you and your sons can live off the rest.

4:52 What do you have in your hands from the simple to the supernatural? natural. What do you think was happening to the faith of the boys as that little jar of oil kept filling those empty containers? And what do you think was happening to the woman, that little jar of oil was filling the containers and they kept putting it aside, side, putting it aside, following the instructions. Do you think it was quiet in there? What do you think was going on inside that house, in that room as they were doing that?

5:34 Just pausing for effect here. I don't know about you, but our Friday was like, wow, this is what? So we find the widow in dire need here, facing the loss of her sons to slavery due to her deaths. Elisha asked her, what do you have in your house? Her response, a small jar of olive oil, sets the stage for a miraculous provision. Through her faith and obedience, a little oil she had was multiplied, filling many jars and allowing her to pay her debts and live off the rest.

6:19 Wow. I just want to read that again because that's powerful. That instruction from the prophet, that dire need from the woman and the instruction from the prophet produced a miracle. At any time during that little conversation, she could have said, what? This ain't going to do nothing. And that would have been the end of her story. But no, no, no, no, no. She says the prophet, because she had a husband that was a prophet. She knew of her husband and her husband probably knew Elisha. And so she said, whatever Elisha does when, you know, when God speaks, it comes to pass.

7:00 So whatever she, he says, I'm going to do it. And so she did it. And so that built up the son's faith and the woman's faith and they did it. And so what do you have in your house? I'm asking you, what do you have in your house? And her response was a small jar of olive oil. And that's enough. That's enough. That's enough. Set the stage for miraculous provision. Through her faith and obedience, the little oil she had was multiplied, filling her jars and allowing her to pay her debts and living off the rest.

7:41 So I did a little background on what would have happened if she didn't follow those instructions. Just a little cultural background that what would have happened to this lady and her two sons if she would have just not believed God? This was a time where she needed to believe God. If I was in an audience, I was preaching from a pulpit and I raised your audience. How many are really desperate right now that they need a miracle from God? I bet you you can. I can see you raising your hand right now. What do you have in your house? What do you have in your hand? So no matter how, that's why he said, close the door.

8:25 Because, you know, because you got the neighbors, because you got neighbors, you got the nosy neighbors who wants to, what you going to do with all those bottles? What you going to do? What you up to over there? I always call it the nosy Nancy's. What you up to over there? What you doing with all those bottles? Just close the door. Close the door. And do what God has told you to do. And you know, if you ever find out, and this, I'm trying not to make this a long, long podcast, but you ever find out that sometimes when God tells you to do something, you don't even quite understand the instructions. So you can't even explain it to somebody else. So for this particular episode or all the rest, or anytime God tells you to do something, just do it.

9:08 And then maybe tell the story later once you quite understand it. So this lady said, I don't even know what I'm doing. I know in my own mind, this oil in my own thinking is not enough to fill up all these containers, but because this prophet told me to do so, I'm just going to do it. I'm just going to believe for each and every bottle to be full. I'm going to have faith for each and every one of these bottles to be filled in the name of Jesus. each one. Tell the sons, we're going to believe for each and every one of these bottles to be filled. So what was going on at the time? Now we got our faith all filled up.

9:50 And so in ancient Israel, debt was a serious matter. Those unable to pay their debts often face the loss of their property and in extreme cases, their freedom. The law permitted creditors to take debtors or their children as enslaved people as slaves, enslaved people to work off debt. You can find that in Leviticus chapter 25, 39 through 40. So it was biblical to just to take property and. Take you away, your freedom, take your kids to pay off debt.

10:32 They did that today. I think people would be debt-free. Can I get an amen in the audience? Hallelujah. All right. And then the second point here is the socioeconomic status of widows. Now she's a widow and was particularly precarious. Without a husband, they are often had no means of income, making them vulnerable to exploitation and extreme poverty. So since they had no way of provision, guess what? They were just taken advantage of. And so the widow's plight was not just financial, but also social and emotional. The potential loss of her sons to slavery met the loss of her remaining family and her future support system.

11:18 Slavery due to debt was expected consequences reflecting the harsh reality of economic hardship in the Bible times, in biblical times. So now if we think about what was happening in that room with the closed door, it was, I said it really calm, but think how nervous she was. I don't think she spilled not one drop of oil because that meant that every drop was, Everything that was happening in that room was very dire. It was a very serious situation. So I believe it was quiet in there. I believe if she was praying, she was praying quietly. She was praying in her holy language. She was praying quietly.

11:59 She was praying out to God quietly because this was an extreme, serious case where she can lose, hey, her freedom, her son's freedom. And it was just a harsh reality where at the end, when all her sources was all depleted, that she can even die. Here. So it was economic hardship for her. What was the role of the prophets at that time? The role of the prophets in Israel acted as God's spokesperson, providing guidance, performing miracles, and offering divine intervention in the times of need.

12:39 Elisha's involvement signifies God's care for the marginalized and his provision for those in desperate circumstances. It's so important. Sometimes we have prophets. My pastor is a prophet. There's many prophets around, right? But so what is the role of a prophet? That they are God's spokesperson, providing guidance, performing miracles, and offering divine intervention in In the times of need. How powerful is that? That God sends us a prophet for guidance, for miracles, for divine intervention.

13:23 But how many times that when that prophet speaks to you, that you, do you obey what they say? Or do you have your own opinion? And that could be a breakthrough. How many times do the prophet, he has a pastor anointing and he's a prophet. He has other gifts. But guess what? When he says a scripture on the board, a scripture on the board, when he preaches, how many times do you go home and write that scripture down and study that scripture? Because that's your word. That's your freedom. That's your simple to the supernatural. How many honor God's word that much? When the word of God goes across the board, that's your freedom.

14:04 I mean, you're in debt, but yet the word goes across, comes to your place near you, and you have the word to give you freedom, but you are yet to obey it, and you are yet to still have some struggles. Just saying something, something that gets you to think about it. So we see here that in the ancient time, debt was a serious matter. We see here in the ancient time that the socioeconomic status of widows was particularly precarious. You know, so without a husband, there was no means of income. So if you take away her two boys, that will put her in a financial and emotional state.

14:47 So when this lady, when this prophet showed up at her house, I read that scripture kind of without any emotion. But when she was crying out to that prophet, she was filled with emotions. What would you say? I would say she was pretty much, would you say, in desperation because her life really counting on a miracle from the Lord. How many out there are saying that your life is counting on a miracle from the Lord? her. Okay. So this little situation was dire, filled with grief from the loss of her husband and the looming loss of her sons.

15:34 Her emotional state would have been one of a profound despair and fear. So in ancient times, losing a spouse meant losing one's protector and provider. So there might be some widows I'm talking to out there. So they really understand when I'm talking about single women out there that I'm talking to, you know, male or female, right? So what it feels like to not have the provider. The widow faced challenges, widow faced the challenge of providing for her family alone, which was nearly impossible in that cultural content.

16:15 So desperation leads us to seek divine help more earnestly. The widow plea to Elijah represents a cry for divine intervention, demonstrating that in our lowest moments, God hears us and responds. So when she cried out to the prophet, come on now, that God also heard her. And so we know that God never leaves us or forsakes us. So just when she closed that door, guess who also stepped in the room? Come on, y'all. The Holy Spirit also stepped in the room to help her with that miracle.

16:59 Come on. And so she cried out for help, and she received her miraculous intervention. She paid off her debt, which relieved her from any more harassment about anything. She got to keep her sons and she got to live off the rest. You know, when God blessed you, living off the rest was probably a lot more than what we thought it was. So what was Elijah's question? Let's back it up a little bit. Elijah asked her, what do you have in your house? And then the direct answer to the widow, she started to think, right, what does she have in her house?

17:43 And she says, this answer emphasized, this question emphasized the importance of recognizing and valuing what we already have. Often we overlook our resources because they seem too small or insignificant. Insignificant, but God can use even the smallest things to work miracles. So I want you to think, what do you have in your house? What do you have in your hands? What do you have that you think that is too small for God to use? Because God wants to use that.

18:25 To work a miracle in your life. God wants to use that to work the supernatural in your life. God wants to use that to show off that he is alive in your life. Let's focus on the small jar of oil here. The small jar of oil symbolizes the potential. It's only the potential for God's provision. It represents something seemingly insignificant that given to God in faith can lead to abundance. When we think about the story in the Bible, what story comes to mind when we think that was insignificant that fed many people, that really supplied the need, excuse me, of many people?

19:15 The story of feeding 5,000 in the book of John, John 6, 9-13, I think Jesus fed 5,000 at least twice in the Bible. There was a small boy offering five loaves and two fishes fed a multitude. Both stories illustrate how God multiplies small offerings to meet significant needs. So how we can give the least and God can multiply it to meet the needs. He said, you can live off the rest. When he said he fed 5,000, you know, you hear different stories that the 5,000 was men, but they came with their wives and their children.

20:01 So it was probably way over 5,000. You know, you got children and wives. So that's maybe double that with the children, maybe 15, 20,000 people with five loaves and two fishes because the kid offered it to Jesus. And then they had leftovers. What? So what do you have in your house? What do you have in your hands that you want to give God for a miracle? From the simple to the supernatural. Let's talk about faith and obedience. The widow's faith and willingness.

20:45 The widow's faith is evident in her obedience to Elijah instructions. Did I say instructions? Despite her dire situations, she followed those commands that Elijah gave her, those instructions. And you think like Elijah could have said, be filled in the name of Jesus, and it would have been done, right? You know, we want, God is not like the Santa Claus. He has you to do some work. Hello. So you can say, you know, I did my part. So Elijah had many different ways to do it. Remember, he's getting instructions from God.

21:28 But despite the dire situation, she followed his seemingly illogical commands to gather empty jars. So she had to go knock on the neighbor's doors and gather as many jars as she can. It was her job to gather as many jars as she can, right? Then she had to fill it and put it aside. So there were still instructions to be followed. How many of us, I'm just asking a question, miss out because we want to have a shortcut? How many of us miss out because we don't want to follow the instructions?

22:09 We want God to like do it now, do it quick, do it right away. Way. We don't want to do the work. I'm just asking a question, right? Go gather the, like, gang, you know, can we, Lord, can you do it? Like, can you do it? Can you go get the, I don't want to be, it's going to be embarrassing for me to go ask. Cause they know my husband died, you know, you know, they know I'm emotional and stuff, you know, they know, I don't, you know, I don't feel like, you know, what I'm going to say to them about asking for these bottle. You know, I'm already nervous. Shoot, give me a cart and I'm going to go get as many of these jars that I can.

22:54 And sometimes we just have to put pride aside and just be obedient to what the Lord has told you to do. Because they know that when you do that, you are taking part of that testimony that's going to show that when you live off the rest, they're going to remember that this widow came and knocked on the door and got these bottles, these jars. They're going to remember your face when God blesses you. They're going to remember the God who blesses you. Everything we do has a part that gives God the glory. story. So step back out of your pride and just do follow the instruction.

23:37 I always say there's no shortcuts in this journey. Sometimes I wish there was, but there is no shortcuts in this journey. Just follow the instructions, set the jar aside. And when it's done, go get the man a guy. and he says, go sell. So she still had to go sell them. So now she has an oil business. She has an olive oil business. Where'd she get that oil at? That holy oil from the Holy Spirit. What? Some special oil that she was selling. I bet it had a nice fragrance to it.

24:18 It was different because it came right from the heavenlies. So it's probably sold really quick and live off the wrath. So I don't know if she sold the rest or she just kept filling more bottles. Come on now, because they kept coming back for more. So now she had a business. She was now an entrepreneur because she listened to the Lord. Glory to God. Throughout the Bible, faith often precedes obedience, which then leads to miraculous outcomes. The widow's story reinforces this principle, showing that our acts of faith and obedience can set the stage for God's supernatural intervention.

25:07 Did we miss something here? showing that acts of faith and obedience can set the stage for God's supernatural intervention. It didn't say that when you wake up the next morning, it was done. Sometimes God can do some stuff like that. Yes, he can. But then sometimes we have to work for it. She had to sell something. So her business, she lived off the rest. I believe that she lived off the rest because she is now an entrepreneur, a CEO of some oil. She got some fancy oil skin, some fancy heavenly oil.

25:51 What was the name of her business? Business. But she had to use faith, believe God, do what God said, obey what God said, and she was blessed. Right? So how do we apply this to our lives? Number one, reflect on your resources. Take a moment to assess what you have, what skills you have, what talents you have, what time you have, and even your financial resources. Nothing is too small for God to use. The scripture for that is each of you, each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God's grace.

26:36 It is in various forms as found in first Peter chapter four, verse 10. Act in faith. Point two, like the widow, step out in faith with what you have. Trust that God can multiply your humble offering beyond your imagination. I like that. Step out in faith. You know how hard it was for me to step out in faith with a podcast. It sounds easy. I I make mistakes. I don't start all over. I just repeat it and just keep it moving.

27:17 Otherwise, I like things perfect and perfectionist. But hey, I'm just doing a podcast for the Lord. I'm doing it for Jesus. I'm using my skills and my talents for Jesus. Just like the widow, stepping out in faith. What do I have in my hand? Where I have the gifts and talents what God has given me to talk, to preach, to share my story, and to trust that God can multiply my humble offerings beyond what I can even ask or think. And what scripture foundation is. Now faith is, faith is not yesterday, it's not tomorrow, is right now. So faith is confidence in what we hope for and the assurance about what we do not see.

28:05 So you won't know what you got until you go. You don't know what you hope for. You don't know, what am I talking about? So now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we We do not see. So you have to step out in faith and you don't know what's going to go and what's not going to go. I have two different podcasts that I have up and I will share that with you right now. It's called the Morris perspective. Like I said, I'm an educator, retired police officer. My goal is to change the world. I'm an implicit bias expert, I call myself. I wrote a couple of books on the topic. And so I use the Morris perspective to get that information out.

28:49 And I've been having a great time with it. And I also use the Diary of a Black Woman podcast, which God gave me also to work this side of my life, which is the devotional side. And I thought one would go flat and the other one would go, you know. But God has kept them both tied up, which is so funny because they're both are doing well. They're actually equal. And so I was like, okay, God. So you never know what gifts, the gift that God's giving you, what's going to go and what's not. So like I'm saying, I'm filling those jars that God said, go do this, faith and obedience.

29:30 And I'm doing what he's asked me to do. Yes, it's work, but I'm doing what he told me to do, right? So now faith and confidence is what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. That was extra, but I wanted to show you that I'm putting to work what he's told me to do. Obedience brings blessings. Number three, the widow followed Elijah's instructions precisely. Precisely, our obedience to God's guidance can unlock his supernatural provision. Yes, the widow followed his instructions precisely.

30:12 I'm going to leave that out there because, like I said, there's no shortcuts. And if you did it wrong, go back and do it right. I'm the one that don't follow instruction. I make it sound like I'm all holy, but you put something together, you're like, wait a minute. it. Like this table for my podcast, I'm like, it's only like four different, it's four legs. It shouldn't be that hard to put together. No instructions required. Yeah, you can mess it up. So I went back and put it together, follow the instructions, easy peasy. And so following instructions precisely is very, very important. Our obedience to God's guidance can unlock his It's supernatural provision.

30:56 The scripture here is found in 1 Samuel 15, 22. Now, faith is scripture. We know that. If you don't know, it's found in Hebrews 11, 1. I'm going to read 1 Samuel 15, 22. It says, Samuel replied, does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifices. I'm sorry, to obey is better than sacrifice and to heed is better than the fat of rams. So God loves obedience rather than sacrifice. And then number four, expect miracles.

31:39 Anticipate that God will show up in miraculous ways when you act in faith. The widow's oil kept flowing until every char was filled. I love that. And so in Philippians 4.19, the scripture foundation for that one, and my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. So practical applications, reflect on your resources, act in faith, obedience brings blessings, things. And the best one, expect miracles.

32:19 Expect miracles. And then some additional scriptures. I'm just going to add these last two. Proverbs 3, 5, and 6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways, submit to him and he will make your path straight. So don't try to figure it out. Just do what he says. We always want to know what happens if it don't work? What happens if it does work? Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And what I say, don't try to figure out. Lean not to your own understanding. You know, in James 2, 14 to 17, and it says, what good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?

33:05 Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or sisters without clothes and daily food, if one of you says to them, go in peace and keep warm and well-fed, but does nothing about their physical needs? What good is it in the same way? Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. And so all that talk without any action is nothing. So I wish I would have, coulda, you know, and people have a thousand and one excuses not to do what's on their heart to do. And I don't know about you, but you ever, I don't, God doesn't let me get away with a lot.

33:48 So I can't say that he'll say, okay, you can wait another day, but he would never let, if he got something for me to do, I'm usually quick to do it. But if I'm a little delayed in it, he'll give me a couple days and it's back on me. He's not going to let it delay. I'm not really a procrastinator because when he wants it done, I try to get it done. You ever got something on your heart that he wants you to do and you keep putting it off and then all of a sudden you look around and someone else is doing what you're supposed to be doing, you can't get mad at him, right? And so faith without works is dead. And I like when he said in the Bible, it says, If you see someone without food or clothing and you don't provide for them and you wish them well, that's not even good.

34:40 That's another whole devotional. But do something, right? So God's giving you a plan. What's in your hand? We're going to stay focused. Do that thing he's told you to do. And I'm really wearing that out because we got four episodes, four more episodes. And by the time we get off of these episodes you should be doing what God has called you to do you should not be getting no rest for the weary you will be like that little oil with oils what's in your house. What skills and talents do you have that you've been holding back? And so remember, God can multiply even the smallest offering.

35:22 And then what I like is that it's unexpected. God can give you, your faith can give you an unexpected blessing. Because you don't know what he's going to do with that thing. He's telling you, you might think it's going to be, oh, it's not going to be much. And it blows up into something big. All right, let's do the decrees. And then we are going to wrap this one up. This was really good. It's really good for me. Decrees just help encourage you. I'm going to just speak to decrees over you. And then, well, we can say them together. And this encourage you to get moving. Even I would encourage you, like, if you haven't already, have a journal and just write down some ideas and just pray over them. and ask for instructions.

36:11 Ask God to give you some instruction. Maybe you don't have the finances to go that route right now, but just ask. Ask him, how do I get money through? Maybe you got to sell some things to get some things moving. Some things that's been sitting there that you can actually sell. My family always say, don't give it to Connie because she will sell it. I'm not using it. I'm going to donate it or sell it. I'm not a hoarder. I'm giving some stuff away. way. I don't want all that stuff in my house, just sitting around collecting dust. I'm going to sell it and I'm going to invest into something that I'm going to use. That'll be me. So maybe that can be you. All right. So the decrees for today, repeat after me. Here we go.

36:53 I decree that what I have, no matter how small, is enough for a miracle when I place it in God's hand. I decree that my humble offering will be blessed and multiplied by the Lord. I decree that my faith and obedience would unlock God's supernatural provision. vision. I decree that I will expect and receive God's miraculous interventions in my life.

37:36 That's it. So thank you again for joining me today. Remember, it's not about the size of what you have, but the faith at which you offer it. Join us next time as we continue to explore how God uses the simple to achieve the supernatural. Stay blessed and keep believing in the miraculous. This is Diary of a Black Woman podcast. Until we see each other again, God bless.