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Last month we had an incredible opportunity to gather with other widows at our 2019 AWM Conference. What a wonderful time we had worshipping God and encouraging one another. After months of praying, we were so blessed by God’s presence. This year, He gave us the vision to focus on taking care of ourselves for His purposes. As that theme emerged, He laid the following story from 2 Kings 4: 1-7 on my heart:

Elisha and the Widow’s Oil

1Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” 2And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” 3Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. 4Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.”

5So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. 6When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest.”

He takes what we have to offer, He multiplies it, and uses it to share with others.

It is a pattern we see in scripture repeatedly. Like when He turns the water into wine (John 2: 1-11) and then again when He feeds the multitudes from the five loaves and two fishes (Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:31-44, Luke 9:12-17, John 6:1-14).

Together, with my sisters at the conference, we dwelled on how incredibly exciting it is to be a part of God’s story. His principles apply today, just as they did then. He will take what we have to offer, multiply it, and use it to share with others. Even if we are widows and it seems like we have nothing left. But it’s not easy, and that’s why community with other widows is so important! I am so grateful for the women who came to the conference and showered us all with love and encouragement, who were the physical manifestation of God’s presence.

But as usual, God didn’t stop there. When I came home, He showed me the rest of the story…

On the Sunday after the conference, sitting in church listening to the message, my pastor “happened” to mention the stories of the water turned into wine and the feeding of the multitudes. It was at that moment, I felt the Holy Spirit tell me the rest of the story. You see, I had missed the significance of what was being multiplied. How wine is used to symbolize the blood of Christ and salvation. And bread is used to symbolize the bread of life, Christ himself. And the oil? Oil is used to symbolize the Holy Spirit. Look what Luke 4:18 tells us about the purpose of the Holy Spirit (the oil).

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
(Luke 4:18 KJV)

It brings tears of joy to my eyes to think that God chose to use a widow to illustrate that when she cried out for help, He asked her to collect bottles (vessels) to be filled with the oil (the Holy Spirit). The Holy Spirit which anoints us to share the gospel, heal the brokenhearted, preach deliverance, help others to see again and to set at liberty those that are bruised.

Could we ask for any better answer to the question in our hearts – do we still have purpose?

Sisters, I believe the best is yet to come! And you don’t have to do it alone! Walk with us as we continue to build community – Sharing our Hope!

Oh Lord, You are so good! We are so grateful for Your purpose for our lives! Please help us surrender to Your will, that we may be a part of Your miraculous plan to bless others.

In Your Son’s Holy and Precious Name. Amen.