“What do you have I can use?” “Nothing,” replied the woman. But then added, “Except, I do have a little flask of oil.” The recently widowed woman, facing the debt left by her husband, had sold everything in her house struggling to hold off the creditor. The small container of oil, not the finest oil for cooking, was common as a body lotion after bathing and for anointing the dead. Some suggest she kept this small jar for her own burial. From her perspective, she regarded it as ‘nothing’ with no value towards her situation. Elisha the prophet saw it from the Lord’s perspective. He instructed her to borrow all the empty vessels she could from her neighbors. Then she was to go into her house, close the door, and pour the contents of the small flask into them. She started pouring, and kept pouring, and pouring, and pouring from the small container until all the larger vessels were full. Elisha told her to sell the oil, pay her creditor, and she and her sons could live off the remaining profit. (2 Kg 4:1-7)
How often do we look at our situation or a challenge we face and think “I have nothing”, or “I don’t have enough”, or “I don’t have the ability?” My Bible College taught that we must conquer all our weaknesses before we could effectively use our strengths. In my striving to become good enough, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart, “stop worrying about what you can’t do and focus on the Spiritual Gift of teaching the Lord has given you.” That became the turning point in my ministry. I thought I had nothing, except the gift of teaching, which I saw as not enough. Relentless attention on what we don’t have can blind us to what we do have.
Jesus knowingly challenged His disciples with a dilemma beyond their natural ability to demonstrate that what they had was enough. Five thousand men, not including the women and children, had followed Him to a remote area. At the end of the day, He told the disciples to give them something to eat. “But we don’t have enough money and have no food except five loaves and two fishes from a little boy.” Jesus took the loaves and fishes, gave thanks, and showed this was more than enough. Everyone ate leaving enough that the disciples filled twelve baskets with what remained. The Lord may ask us to do something we feel is beyond our ability or what we have, because we think it isn’t enough we dismiss the little we do have. But it is enough when we give it to Him.
We could label Moses a defeated man when he fled from Egypt. He grew up in the royal court raised by the Pharaoh’s daughter as if he were an Egyptian prince. Getting ahead of God he killed an Egyptian for abusing a Hebrew—one of his people. He escaped to Midian living in the wilderness as a shepherd. The Egyptians considered shepherds detestable. After forty years it was God’s time to deliver His people from their oppression. Appearing in a burning bush the Lord called Moses, “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Ex 3:10 NIV). Immediately came Moses first “but”. Who am I (v11)? After a dialogue offering excuses, Moses essentially told God, “I am nobody; I don’t speak well; I have nothing.” The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand” (4:2)? “A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied. We can only imagine the thoughts racing through Moses’ mind. “It’s just an ordinary shepherd’s staff. That’s not enough. Certainly nothing that can accomplish what God’s asking me to do.”
The Lord showed Moses what He could do with a common shepherd’s staff. “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent (4:3). Then using only Moses’ hand with nothing in it, God then said, “Put your hand inside your shirt.” He slipped his hand under his shirt, then took it out. His hand had turned leprous, like snow. He said, “Put your hand back under your shirt.” He did it, then took it back out-as healthy as before (Exo 4:6, 7 MSG). When he obeyed and returned to Egypt, God performed many miracles through this nobody who had claimed he had nothing. Moses led his people, the Hebrews, out of their slavery to the Promised Land.
Note a few others God used who felt they had nothing or not enough. When the Lord called Gideon to deliver Israel from the power of the Midianites, Gideon said to him, “Me, my master? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me. My clan’s the weakest in Manasseh and I’m the runt of the litter” (Judges 6:14 MSG). David killed Goliath having only five stones. A few fishermen turned the world upside down through the Gospel (Act 17:6).
Stop worrying about what you don’t have and look at what you do have. It is enough if you give it to God. Let Him take care of your weakness.
Sustaining Word for the Week: You have more than you think. It is more than enough. What’s in your hand?