“‘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.” 2 Kings 4:2 (NLT)

It was one of those seasons. A season in life where every breath I breathed and every morning I woke, life got worse.

A season where I felt like Job.

A season of now what?

Just like the widow talking to Elisha, I felt powerless to change my circumstances. My husband’s employer went bankrupt, leaving my husband without a job. One of our parents had a life-changing health crisis and required a lot of assistance. And as a couple, we experienced some devastating news. During this season, we faced new challenges through finances, relationships and emotions.

The widow in 2 Kings understood a season like mine: “‘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” (2 Kings 4:2).

She faced a season of loss as she mourned the death of her husband. It was difficult to be a woman without a husband in those times. Waking up every day, she felt alone and abandoned in her circumstances.

Hers was a season of emptiness. Without a partner to share in the day-to-day decisions of parenting, she was a single mother trying to raise her children without enough income to provide.

The widow lived in a season of threat. A lender was on his way to collect, and if it weren’t money, it was going to be her children, with the intent to make them slaves. She felt powerless to keep her children from a life she didn’t want for them.

Like the widow, in our seasons of loss, emptiness or threat, we can focus on our misfortunes instead of counting our blessings.

Her misfortune was lack of income. Her blessing, a little bit of oil. We, too, have blessings in our season of now what. They are simply harder to find when our activities and thoughts become centered around our misfortune. During this time, it is difficult to look past the problem and notice blessings.

When I looked beyond my present circumstances, God helped me see my blessings. I had:
A little bit of hope.
A little bit of joy.
And a little bit of energy.

We, like the widow, can look at our little bit and think it’s not enough. But God looks at our little bit and says, “It’s plenty. Watch what I will do with it.”

With a little bit of faith, the widow poured and poured and poured. Until, in 2 Kings 4:5-6, every jug and bowl were filled.

God knew the exact amount of oil the widow needed to cancel her debts. He took her little bit of oil and used it to not only change the course of her life, but the lives of her children.

In our season of now what, God knows exactly what we need. He will take whatever small amount we have and multiply it to be exactly what we lack.

The only thing we must do is offer ourselves as empty jugs, allowing God to pour into us what we need during this season. He will use our little bit of faith to produce more faith. He will take our little bit of hope to develop trust. Our little bit of joy will bring lots of laughter. And that little bit of energy will help us accomplish much.

Heavenly Father, as I face circumstances beyond my control, help me become like the widow, taking what little I have and trusting You to provide exactly what I lack. Build my faith and trust, so I rely on You to meet my physical and emotional needs. With every step I take, may my focus be on You and not on my misfortunes. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY

Matthew 17:20, “He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’” (NIV)

Matthew 6:31-34, “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (NIV)

RELATED RESOURCES

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Our next First 5 study, Daniel: Holding Firm in the Face of Fear, begins August 26! Join us as we discover what it means to step out in faith and trust God during all of life’s unknowns. Click here to get the first 5 days of the Daniel Experience Guide free!

REFLECT AND RESPOND

If you are in a season of now what, take a moment to look at your circumstances and notice the blessings, no matter how small they might seem. Write these blessings down to remind you, now and in the future, how God has increased your little bit to be exactly what you needed in this season of now what.

Share one of your blessings with us in the comments!

© 2019 by Jennifer Filka. All rights reserved.