Pour it out: A Case Study of the Widow’s Surrender
More than anything else, strong faith in God is manifested in obedience. We see this illustrated in the widow’s story. This widow was one of the wives of the prophetic order of Elisha’s time. She went crying to Elisha that his servant, her husband, had died. The widow needed help, and she would soon find that the answer to her problem lie in her ability to respond in obedience.
Similarly, you may find yourself in a season of crisis or trial where the existing oil (i.e. anointing) seems insufficient. Cry out to God today, and as He speaks, respond in obedience. Therein lies the opportunity for a miracle to take place!
FOCUS SCRIPTURE | 2 KINGS 4:1-7
vv.1-2 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall | do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
Bible, King James Version
So, here is this widow who needs Elisha’s help. Elisha tries to think of a solution to her problem. He asks if she has anything at home — of value, presumably — that she could give to the creditor instead of her sons, but all she has is a jar of oil. We can presume this was olive oil, since it was most common in that time, and that it was precious (i.e. held some value). Nevertheless, we get the sense that even though the oil itself had worth, the amount the widow had was not enough to get her sons back.
vv. 3-7 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.
And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.
Bible, King James Version
I’d like to present three key points based on the widow’s story that will, hopefully, help you realize how a decision to ‘pour it out’ – a decision rooted in strong faith in God – can change your life.
STRONG FAITH IN GOD GIVES US COURAGE TO BECOME EMPTY
First, let’s consider how emptiness is key to the widow’s story. At the end of the passage, we see that the oil ceased because there were no more vessels to be poured into. The oil ceased of its own accord. The woman was still looking to “pour it out” but there was nothing to pour into.
God says, in the last and evil days “… I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh… (Joel 2:28 KJV).” The question is: Is there a vessel? Is there anyone who has emptied themselves so that they may be poured into? The prophet told the woman to bring not just any vessel but an empty vessel. Have you emptied yourself to receive the oil of God? What is it that you need to pour out?
The ‘pouring out’ is a game-changer in your relationship with Christ. When you pour out, you accept an invitation to an experience with the Father. You don’t have to be afraid or anxious about losing the things of this world; whether they be friendships, business or political connections, jobs, the shows you watch for entertainment, the music you listen to for comfort, the food you eat to satisfy yourself.
You don’t have to struggle to hold on to this life and what it has to offer. God is always near and He will pour into you so richly that you will never even miss what was. God will never leave you empty. If you would just pour out, He is ready to pour into you abundantly — even eternal life.
ARE YOU WILLING TO POUR OUT?
In the Gospels, the story is told of the woman with an alabaster box. Luke 7:37 (KJV) says, “… a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment.” Further study reveals that these alabaster boxes were made of stone; soft stone — but stone nevertheless. This type of stone was useful in preserving the quality of precious and expensive perfume.
To break the alabaster box was costly – both literally and figuratively. Not only did it cost her something of material value; but it cost courage, humility, and the full commitment of knowing that there is no turning back. Indeed, she must have had the same kind of strong faith in God that we are in pursuit of. It cost much to break the box, but the stone must be broken in order to access all that is precious and valuable on the inside.
God wants to remind us that in order to access all He has in store for us, the stony heart must become a broken heart. The outward Man – your flesh – must perish for the sake of the inward Man – so that you can receive all that is of value and worth and exists in the spiritual sphere of your life.
To have strong faith in God is to break our figurative alabaster boxes. Scripture speaks of “a living sacrifice.” It is the living sacrifice that is holy and acceptable to God. We have to sacrifice everything upon the altar until we are broken and empty and only Christ remains. That’s when God can do His best work in the church, when there is none of us and all of Him.
STRONG FAITH IN GOD RELEASES HIS ABUNDANT PROVISION IN OUR LIVES
Second, is a focus on pouring as filling. After you have poured out of yourself what is unlike Christ, as well as what hinders your continued growth in Him, God is faithful to pour into you! He will pour more than you have room to receive!
The scripture says, after the widow had collected the empty jars, she went into her home and closed the door. Then she began to pour. From what was – in the natural – just a small jar, the widow poured and poured and poured until all the vessels were full. God could have stopped there and given her just enough, but He instead reminds us that He is the God of abundance and overflow!
She looked to her sons and said “pass me another jar,” but there were no more jars, so the oil ceased. The scriptures don’t say she ran out of oil. The oil ceased or stopped flowing. This tells us that she had no control over the flow of the oil, nor was the natural thing able to contain what God had released into her life. The small jar of oil may have appeared limited to the human eye but God had caused the oil to flow in a supernatural way.
WITH GOD YOU ALWAYS HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH
As a child of God, sometimes you may be seen by others, or even perceive yourself, in a limited way. But God created you in such a way and established covenant with you so that when you submit your empty vessel to Him, He causes you to tap into an endless supply of His love, His goodness, His anointing, His grace, His favor, and so on. This is life in Christ! This is what He promised, what He suffered, bled, and died for: so that we may have more abundant life in Him. So that we would have abundant relationship with Him.
There may times when God instructs you to move – to speak, to sing, to intercede, to evangelize – and your response is fear or disobedience, because you don’t see yourself as being enough; and, by yourself, you are not. However, the Bible says that with God all things are possible! Your God is a God of increase! He is limitless and His power knows no end! He is a multiplying God!
The oil of God – when you make room for Him to pour into you, is sufficient! It not only solved the widow’s ongoing problem, but the oil of God’s provision was enough to sustain her going forward. His oil is always sufficient. The oil of God is all you need. If you are going through a tough time or facing a challenge in your life, the oil of God is sufficient and He is pouring out. Empty yourself of your worry, stress, anxiety, and fear. Ask God to pour the oil of the Spirit into you. Ask him to pour out his peace, provision, and provenance. As you pour out, God will pour in!
STRONG FAITH IN GOD GIVES US BOLDNESS TO ADVOCATE FOR OTHERS
Finally, a focus on pouring as self-sacrifice. The widow came to Elisha for help in a time of need. She was at a point of crisis. However, she did not come merely for her own sake, what really sent her into action was the fact that someone else’s life – someone else’s survival, was dependent on her next move.
The Bible says she had two sons who were at risk of being taken as slaves. It was for their sake that she cried out to the prophet. The Bible emphasizes placing others above self. It says, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13 KJV).” There is no greater representation of Christ than when you exhibit His love, when you begin to live with the understanding that what you do here on Earth, your life, is not for your sake. It is here, in this realization, that God is glorified.
There is a pouring that happens when you are working out your own salvation. When you are tired of living in bondage. Tired in cycles of sin. Desperate to be unburdened from the cares of life. Eager to know the Savior and deepen your relationship with Him. There’s a pouring that happens when you release fear, anxiety, grief, and all the things that the enemy tries to use to beset you. However, there’s another level where you are called to pour out even more of yourself – not because those parts of you are displeasing to God, but because His work requires it.
SOMETIMES STRONG FAITH LOOKS LIKE SELF-SACRIFICE
Therefore, you are led to pray less for yourself and more for your brothers and sisters, you may spend long hours seeking God and laboring at perfecting the work He has called you to so that the church is edified. You decide to get up and go into the communities in the heat of the day to minister to the sick and bereaved. You sow your last in a seed of faith for the sake of the ministry, etc. In other words, you begin to pour from a place of deep obedience and faith. Obedience to do the work when you would otherwise grow weary in well-doing. Faith to believe in God’s provision, healing, deliverance and overall faithfulness.
This pouring is not easy. You may struggle to perfect it. In some seasons you may pour liberally and in other seasons the sacrifice may seem too great. But the miracle – the breakthrough – happens with your faith and obedience: as you pour out, the Lord will cause you to tap into the reserves. The energy you didn’t think you had comes out of nowhere as He refreshes you. The author of time then gives you rest in a space of time you could not have anticipated. lust when you think you are left with nothing. He blesses you with all that you need!
The widow cried out to the prophet: “Help!” Later, we see that she was at a place where she was ready to pour out. On whose behalf are you pouring out? Have you yet been able to set self aside for God’s miraculous move? Who are you interceding on behalf of? Who are you advocating for?
STRONG FAITH PLEASES GOD
In the end, the pouring out is never really about you; ultimately, it is for the glory of God. Like the widow’s sons, someone’s life is at a point of crisis and their breakthrough is dependent on your obedience. Will you choose to have strong faith in God? Will you pour out so that He can pour into you what He has for those assigned to your life?
Elisha told her before she started pouring, ‘shut the door behind you.” No one knows what you have been through or what you are going through now. No one knows what God requires you to pour out. No one knows how much you have already laid on the altar. But just like the widow, what you pour out to God privately will become a public testimony of God’s anointing and favor on your life.
No one saw the widow pouring out, and no one was there when she received the abundance of oil, but her lifestyle would show that she was no longer at the mercy of her creditors and that she was now living an abundant life. Let your willingness to pour out be a testimony to someone. It will cost something to pour out, but the Lord will be faithful to honor your obedience and sacrifice. So, don’t be afraid to pour out today. Pour out fears and uncertainty. Pour out doubt and the thought that you are not enough.
God doesn’t need you to be anything but empty.
Read next: Shortest Verse in the Bible: Powerful and Captivating
