Jars of oil

One day, a prophet died before he could repay the money he owed to a man who had lent it to him. The man told the widow that if she did not pay back the debt, he would take her two sons as slaves.

When she told Elisha what had happened, he said, “How can I help you? What do you have in your house?”

“I have nothing except a little oil,” she replied.

“Go and ask all your neighbors for empty jars—as many as you can get,” Elisha said. “Then go inside, shut the door, and start pouring the oil into the jars.”

The woman did as Elisha had told her, and as she poured the oil, it just kept flowing. She filled one jar after another until all the jars were full to the brim. The woman went back to Elisha and told him what had happened. Elisha said, “Now go and sell the oil. With the money you make, you can pay your debt and live on what is left.”

Can I be joyful all the time?

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). Is that really possible? Can anyone be joyful all the time?

We often think of joy as the happy feeling we have when everything goes our way. Paul, who told the Philippians to rejoice, was not having an easy time at all. He spent a lot of time in prison. He certainly was not happy about being beaten and chained, yet he sang songs of praise and joy to God.

True joy comes from within. It does not depend on how others treat us or on what is happening around us. It comes from knowing that Jesus loves us and that He is with us in every situation. The widow’s situation seemed hopeless, yet God saw her need and cared for her.

Whatever problem you may be facing, remember that God knows about it and He cares. Let that thought fill you with joy, and may that joy flow from within you, just as the oil kept flowing from the small jar until it filled all the others.

Verse for today

Therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. Psalm 45:7

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