What is in your hands?

The story is told of a certain widow in the bible who was in dire distress. She was in distress because her late husband’s creditors were after her for his unpaid debts. They had threatened to take away her sons as slaves if she did not come up with the money. She was very poor and did not know what to do. So, she ran to the prophet in the city hoping for some divine counsel. After listening to her tale of woes, the prophet asked her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?”

I am sure this woman was not expecting this kind of reaction from the prophet. Why would he be asking her what he should do for her and what she had in her house? Was he not listening when she was telling him her troubles? This man must be insensitive, she may have concluded. But she held her peace and responded “Your maidservant has nothing in the house, but a jar of oil” (1Kings 4:1-2, NKJV) And that was enough! The jar of oil was all God needed to change her story. All the prophet was trying to do was to draw her attention to the fact that she was not as helpless as she thought. He was trying to let her see that as a child of God her troubles have been anticipated by God. And that a man cannot serve God and be forsaken and put to shame.

Many times we look for answers outside of ourselves. We run to people without first running to God in prayer. Every man is endowed with a gift. We have rich untapped potentials lying dormant on the inside of us. We need to start looking inwards. We need to ask God in prayer to show us our gifts and talents. All you have desired of life is buried within you. Some of us have actually discovered a talent or two, but we make light of it and take it for granted instead of working on it and sharpening it for greater effectiveness. Some hide their talents too. They lack the courage to step out for fear of being ridiculed, misunderstood or persecuted. Either way, we short change ourselves because God has deposited that gift and talent in you to enable you create your Garden of Eden and be a blessing to mankind.

The widow in our story did not consider that jar of oil in her house as anything useful other than for cooking, probably. But the prophet saw differently. Thank God for prophetic eyes that see into the realm of the spirit. If you are blessed with a genuine servant of God, please value and respect their godly counsel. “Then he said to her, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbours –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… Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons live on the rest.” (1Kings 4: 3-4, 7b, NKJV) What more can I say? A poor widow in debt and distress was saved by what she already had in her house! What do you have in your hands? Just as this widow poured her jar of oil into the empty vessels that she gathered, our profiting will come from pouring our talents and gifts into the lives of people who need them. Prosperity is assured those who add value. Prosperity is assured those who offer service to mankind.

The great Prophet Moses was also clueless of the power in the rod he was carrying. He thought it was to guide sheep into formation, but to his amazement that rod brought water out of a rock and wrought miracles too numerous to count! In this present economic recession, we’ve got to look beyond academic qualifications and nine to five jobs if we must thrive and not merely survive. A surviving man may not be able to help anyone besides himself but a thriving man or business would be able to carry many along. God wants us to thrive so that we may be His channels of blessings to many in distress, but before we can do that we must discover His gifts and talents within us and work them effectively for results. This is your time in Jesus name. Amen!

Salvation Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank You for speaking to my heart today. I repent of all my sins and ask for Your forgiveness. I believe that You are the Son of the living God. I believe that You died for my sins and resurrected on the third day. Lord, I give You my life. Come in and be my Lord and Savior. Baptize me with Your Spirit and lead me to a Church that is rich in faith and Your word that I may grow in You daily. Amen