This is a story that God spoke to my life greatly and I hope that it touches and blesses your life as it blessed mine!
2nd Kings 4:1-7 says
servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.” So 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 but a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.” So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “ There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. (?II Kings? ?4?:?1-6? NKJV)
This is an old testament story that we may think sometimes, what does this have to do with my life? But it is absolutely intercepting with our lives. Because what was taking place in the bible days, is that if you couldn’t pay your bills, your next generations would be the ones responsible for those debts and those creditors, the ones that you owed the money too, could come into your household and ensalve your future generations. And technically you would be the one responsible to pay the bill for the previous generation. And this woman had lost her husband, she had no means of income, and the creditors are pounding on the door, they were coming to slave her next generation, her two sons.
See… We are these next generations, our future generations are those generations, and the enemy wants to enslave us. Enslave us to our addictions, to alcohol, drugs, relationships; so many things that he wants to hinder our lives with and make us his slaves. BUT the one thing that is in between us and this “creditor” this person who wants to enslave us, is this oil.
The oil in the bible represent the Holy Spirit, oil in the bible represent the miracle power of God, the supernatural intervention of God. And is the only thing that can stop us from being enslaved, it’s not programs, its not our performance as “good christians” It takes the anointing of the Holy Spirit to stay free. To stay free from all of the things that wants to keep us chained to our pasts; all of the things that tells us that we are not worthy of God’s love, those thoughts telling us that we are not enough… all of those things want to enslave us, and to be free we need the anointing of the Holy Spirit!
In this story, the answer to the widow’s problem, was in her house! The prophet Elisha told this woman “what do you have in your house?” And the woman said “All Ive got is a pot of oil.” And the prophet said “You’ve got all that you need because you have a pot of oil.” See if we give God our vessel, he can fill it. See the oil is not the problem, the oil is always there. In the story, the issue was not the oil, the oil could flow and flow and flow, but the issue was, is there a vessel? See… What I’m trying to get at, is that WE can be those vessels!! Just like in the story, the prophet told the woman, if you want a miracle, go get something God can pour something into. And what’s beautiful here is that the woman determined the magnitude of her miracle, not God. When the prophet told her; go borrow vessels, and not only a few, go to everyone in your neighborhood and get empty vessels and bring them into your house. And what he was saying is, I determine how much oil and miracles that God allows to flow into my life, because heaven has an endless supply. And the issue is, where are these vessels? And he told her, you go and borrow those vessels! You go and find them.
The issue once again is, how much of a vessel do I offer God? See many times we ask God, God I want your power, God I want your dreams, God I want the desires that you have for my life? God I want to be used greatly for your kingdom, God I really want you to pour your oil of your Holy Spirit into my life, and than we go and offer God a pint size portion of our souls. But see, just like in the widow’s story, we determine how much of that oil can come and be poured into our lives, the plan and call of our lives are not determined by the oil, the oil is not the problem, the problem is how much of a vessel are we offering God? Do we just offer him a little portion of ourselves?
See sometimes we tell God, Lord you can have this part of me, BUT stay out of this side. Stay out of my dating life, stay out of anything that I want to do that I feel convicted doing. See when we give God only certain parts of our lives, we are limiting the flow of His oil, we limit the anointment of His Holy spirit on our lives. And see, when we offer Him the whole vessel, our whole life, the oil keeps on flowing!
And than the bible said, once you get those vessels, empty vessels in that room, shut the door. Because when God is going to pour His anointing into the vessel, his power into, His miracles into, his Holy Spirit into; His purpose into, His plans into; it requires separation, it requires us to shut the door. It requires us to separate ourselves. It requires saying NO to some people, and some things. And of course, this may sound even old fashioned, but I do believe that if we will separate ourselves and shut the door on relationships that we know that are not honoring God, or friendships that may not be honoring God, situations that we know are not pleasing to God, we shut the door on those things or people and say God, I know I’m your vessel and if you’re looking for a vessel, I’ll give you a vessel and you give me the oil!
See… once again, as long as there is a vessel, the oil will keep on going! God wants an empty and clean vessel to pour into. God doesn’t want a perfect vessel, all that God needs out of a vessel is for it to be clean and for it to be empty. And once we allow God’s oil to anoint our vessel, He begins to transform us, you no longer have the desire to do the things that would’t honor God, you no longer have the desire to hurt God by being on that relationship that doesn’t honor Him, you no longer have the desire to drink or smoke. You now want to be continue to be transformed, to be His hands and feet on this earth.
And this is why Satan hates Jesus, satan hates our body. Because he can not stop the oil, but if he can addict our bodies, if he can defile our bodies, if he can unclean our vessels so the oil can stop from pouring into our lives, he will do all that he can to make this happen. The bible says in 1st Corinthians 6:19 (NKJV) Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from Go, and you are not your own?
Satan hates our bodies, because he knows the power of the oil, and that it is the oil that flows in us, it was the oil that kicked him out of heaven, it was the oil that cast him out, it was the oil that defeated him every time, he knows he’s no match for the oil, so his only hope is to mess up the vessel. And that’s why it matters that we try to honor God with our actions, that’s why it matters that we separate ourselves from those relationship that are not blessing us, that’s why it matters that we stop sleeping with our boyfriend or girlfriend. It matters because God is looking for those vessels that are clean and empty, and the awesome thing that he’s not looking for us to be perfect, but he wants us clean.
God wants to continue to pour his oil, his Holy Spirit in us, He want to give us His power and free our generations. He wants to show us His wonders and use us to be game changers, to be leaders, to show His love everywhere we go, he wants to take us into the nations and preach of his love, but he wants us to be a clean vessel. He wants us to be willing to receive His Holy Spirit, He wants us to work hard so we can continuously clean our vessels to receive His Holy Spirit and grow within Him.
We are the body of Christ! We are His vessels! The Holy Spirit is never gonna preach to your friends, but if He finds a vessel, He will! The Holy Spirit won’t go into the nations and preach of His love, but if He finds a vessel He will! You say, God give me your anointing, God says give me your vessel! If you lend me your body, God says I’ll lend you my Spirit!
God has such a magnificent plan for our lives! Let’s not waste our vessels!!! The Lord is looking for those vessels who are seeking to be cleansed by Him so His Holy Spirit can be poured into those lives and show them His great plans! All you have to say is Here I am Lord, use me! When you let the spirit fill you, you begin to change! You begin to see all of the magnificent and beautiful plans that God has for you!
Let’s be God’s vessels, let’s be His hands and feet while here on earth and have His Holy Spirit be poured into us, so we can pour His love into others! God will use you, God will preach through you, He will cause miracles to happen if you’ll only be His vessel!!
If you took the time to read this, I thank you because I know it’s so long! But this is something that God had put in my heart as I read this passage.
Today you can tell God, Lord use me, let me be your vessel. I know I’m not perfect, I know I’m not clean enough, but YOU can make me clean, Lord I’ll be your vessel!!!
Let’s be God’s vessels!!!
May God Bless you all!
