Today’s devotion comes from 2 Kings 4:1-7.
“Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few. And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out into all these vessels, and you shall set aside what is full.” So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they were bringing the vessels to her and she poured. When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not one vessel more.” And the oil stopped. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest.” 2 Kings 4:1-7.
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The first point upon which we shall meditate is in the first verse and is of first importance. The widow’s husband feared the LORD. The LORD does not help everyone, but the LORD does help those who fear the LORD a/k/a the righteous a/k/a His children.
“9 O fear the LORD, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.” Psalm 35:9-10.
“The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous.” Proverbs 3:33.
“The LORD is far from the wicked,
But He hears the prayer of the righteous.” Proverbs 15:29.
“24 What the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25 When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.” Proverbs 10:24-25.
“28 The hope of the righteous is gladness,
But the expectation of the wicked perishes.
29 The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright,
But ruin to the workers of iniquity.
30 The righteous will never be shaken,
But the wicked will not dwell in the land.” Proverbs 10:28-30.
The second point is that the LORD does not want us to trust the gift, but rather, the LORD wants us to trust the Giver, namely Himself. Sometimes, like the widow received help through empty vessels, we receive help in strange ways so that we will not trust how we receive help. Sometimes, like the widow whose oil stopped, we no longer receive help in the way that we had been receiving it.
Although we want to always receive that check in the mail, sometimes the check does not come, but we do receive help in another way. We may have many troubles and afflictions, but the LORD delivers us out of all of our troubles and afflictions. We trust the Giver, the LORD, our Faithful Heavenly Father.
“15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against evildoers,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry, and the LORD hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the LORD delivers him out of them all.” Psalm 34:15-19.
Our home is His home. Our body is His body. We belong to the LORD. He is our Faithful Heavenly Father. Consider the following from the Heidelberg Catechism.
Q. 1. What is thy only comfort in life and death?
A. That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who, with His precious blood, hath fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto Him.
Q. 26. What believest thou when thou sayest, “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth”?
A. That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (who of nothing made heaven and earth, with all that is in them; who likewise upholds and governs the same by His eternal counsel and providence) is, for the sake of Christ His Son, my God and my Father; on whom I rely so entirely, that I have no doubt but He will provide me with all things necessary for soul and body; and further, that He will make whatever evils He sends upon me, in this valley of tears, turn out to my advantage; for He is able to do it, being Almighty God, and willing, being a faithful Father.
“7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
8 They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house;
And You give them to drink of the river of Your delights.
9 For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.” Psalm 36:7-9.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 