And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:19 ESV)
2 Kings chapter 4 tells the story of the prophet Elisha and a widow in extreme poverty, who had nothing left except a small flask of oil. Her situation was desperate—her two sons were about to be taken as slaves to pay off her debts. In her distress, she turned to Elisha for help. What he offered, however, was a very unexpected solution.
One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.”
“What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”
“Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied.
And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.”
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.
When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, “Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over.” (2 Kings 4:2-7 NLT)
It’s clear that God performed a miracle to provide for this woman—giving her what she needed to pay her debt and live. But let’s focus on a few small, yet important, details.
Look at verse 3:
“Then he said, ‘Go, borrow containers elsewhere for yourself, empty containers from all your neighbors—do not get too few.’” (NASB)
Some translations say containers or jars; others use vessels (ESV), or even pots and pans (TLB). Imagine going to a dozen homes in your neighborhood, asking for any empty jars, pots, or pans they could spare. Picture the variety—different sizes, shapes, and purposes. Now imagine lining up 80 of these mismatched containers on your kitchen counter, all waiting to be filled from a single bottle of oil—maybe 12 ounces total.
Why did she follow Elisha’s instructions?
Verse 1 tells us the woman’s husband had been part of a group of prophets. What had she seen through his ministry? Had she witnessed the Word of the Lord spoken to the group? Had she heard stories of miracles—or even seen some herself? We don’t know. But perhaps her background gave her the courage to set aside natural doubts about such an unlikely plan. After all, who would believe that a small bottle of oil could fill dozens of containers?
Or maybe she was simply desperate—willing to try anything to save her sons from being taken by creditors.
Or perhaps she deeply trusted Elisha and believed whatever he said would come to pass.
Whatever the reason, she followed his instructions. She gathered the vessels, poured the oil, and filled every single one. She then sold the oil, paid her debts, and had enough left over to live on.
To go from crushing poverty to financial security—through such an unexpected miracle—must have astonished her, and everyone around her.
Do you need a miracle? Does someone you know?
In 2 Kings 4, a desperate widow received her miracle by trusting the word of the Lord spoken through the prophet Elisha. She had nothing left—just a small flask of oil. That oil was her last and only asset. Still, Elisha told her to pour it out into borrowed containers. It must have sounded completely irrational—how could pouring out the little she had possibly solve anything?
Yet she obeyed. And as she poured, the oil didn’t stop—until every container was full. What she thought was the end became the beginning of God’s provision.
Have you ever felt God prompting you to do something that seemed just as risky—maybe even foolish? Like giving away your last $10, even with unpaid bills sitting on your desk? Sometimes, God asks us to release the very thing we think we can’t afford to lose, so He can show us just how faithful He is to provide.
So today, consider this:
Is there something God is asking you to do—something that stretches your trust in him?
It might seem crazy. It might feel uncomfortable.
But it could also be the very step that opens the door for the miracle you need.
Trust him. Obey. And watch what he does.
God, give us the faith to trust and obey you so that you can move on our behalf. We ask in Jesus’s name, AMEN.