The Principles behind a Working Faith Part 2
We discovered in our last blog that faith works oftentimes through a Crisis experience. That makes perfect sense because who needs faith when you can self-solve all your own issues? The widow woman in 2 Kings 4 faced a crisis that was infinitely greater than her resources, and that is where genuine faith is both necessary and possible. It's possible because faith according to Heb 11:6 is:
the substance of things we hope for, and the evidence of things not yet seen.
In Paul's message to the church at Rome the apostle reminded these believers that:
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Rom 10;17)
So this downtrodden prophet's wife had the distinct advantage of hearing the words of Elisha and then being willing to follow his words to a tee. She began by Surrendering her insignificant little bottle of oil to the prophet's plan he himself had received from God.
But what good would a little bottle of oil be in light of such a huge debt? However, when she did give up what she had, God's plan for this poor widow began to spring into action.
That leads us to the final two principles of a working faith. Here is the third principle
Faith demands Obedience
Elisha's instructions to the woman and her sons required that they collect vessels from all of the neighbors near and far, in fact empty vessels. Can you imagine what they must have been thinking as they tramped all over the neighborhood asking for empty clay pots? Time and again they filled their small wooden wagon with borrowed containers from every person they knew, and perhaps some they didn't! Finally with all the pots gathered they obeyed that second part of the prophet's instructions. He told them to poor into and fill each vessel from the bottle of oil they had in the house. What? Really? Yes, that's exactly what the prophet said to do. So her sons brought the first pot, and she filled it to the brim. Hurriedly, she asked her second son to bring another pot and she did the same with that one, too. This process continued until finally she called for yet another pot and that son said there were no empty pots left. Then the oil stopped. Did you notice that the empty pots stopped before the oil stopped flowing? In other words, had there been more pots the oil would have kept flowing, all becauese the woman was willing to obey what God had said!
But there is one more thing.
Faith Evidences the Power of God in Our Lives
Once the woman and her sons had seen what God had done for them she asked the prophet what to do next. He simply told her to sell the oil, pay the debt and then live on the rest. I want you to notice that God had not just multiplied the oil in that little bottle the widow had in her cubboard. He had also met here greatest need, and that was her now being able to pay her husband’s debt so she could keep her two boys from being taken by the debt collector. But that wasn't where God left matters wth her. The Lord did more than what she either asked or even thought. He gave her enough extra resources to live for many days afterward on the profit she had made on the sale! Remember God is always
able to do far more abundantly than all we can ask or think. (Eph 3:20-21)
These are the principles behind a faith that works! I trust these are the things that characterize your faith. When they are present in your faith walk you will see what God can do in you and through your walk in Christ!
the substance of things we hope for, and the evidence of things not yet seen.
In Paul's message to the church at Rome the apostle reminded these believers that:
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Rom 10;17)
So this downtrodden prophet's wife had the distinct advantage of hearing the words of Elisha and then being willing to follow his words to a tee. She began by Surrendering her insignificant little bottle of oil to the prophet's plan he himself had received from God.
But what good would a little bottle of oil be in light of such a huge debt? However, when she did give up what she had, God's plan for this poor widow began to spring into action.
That leads us to the final two principles of a working faith. Here is the third principle
Faith demands Obedience
Elisha's instructions to the woman and her sons required that they collect vessels from all of the neighbors near and far, in fact empty vessels. Can you imagine what they must have been thinking as they tramped all over the neighborhood asking for empty clay pots? Time and again they filled their small wooden wagon with borrowed containers from every person they knew, and perhaps some they didn't! Finally with all the pots gathered they obeyed that second part of the prophet's instructions. He told them to poor into and fill each vessel from the bottle of oil they had in the house. What? Really? Yes, that's exactly what the prophet said to do. So her sons brought the first pot, and she filled it to the brim. Hurriedly, she asked her second son to bring another pot and she did the same with that one, too. This process continued until finally she called for yet another pot and that son said there were no empty pots left. Then the oil stopped. Did you notice that the empty pots stopped before the oil stopped flowing? In other words, had there been more pots the oil would have kept flowing, all becauese the woman was willing to obey what God had said!
But there is one more thing.
Faith Evidences the Power of God in Our Lives
Once the woman and her sons had seen what God had done for them she asked the prophet what to do next. He simply told her to sell the oil, pay the debt and then live on the rest. I want you to notice that God had not just multiplied the oil in that little bottle the widow had in her cubboard. He had also met here greatest need, and that was her now being able to pay her husband’s debt so she could keep her two boys from being taken by the debt collector. But that wasn't where God left matters wth her. The Lord did more than what she either asked or even thought. He gave her enough extra resources to live for many days afterward on the profit she had made on the sale! Remember God is always
able to do far more abundantly than all we can ask or think. (Eph 3:20-21)
These are the principles behind a faith that works! I trust these are the things that characterize your faith. When they are present in your faith walk you will see what God can do in you and through your walk in Christ!
Comments
Post a Comment