Laurie Hopkins

A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your 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.

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 live on the rest.”

2 Kings 4:1-7

The widow was in a desperate situation.  

Her sons were about to be sold as slaves to pay off her debt.  

She went to Elisha for help.  

The first thing Elisha asked her was, 

“What do you have in the house?” 

We don’t always recognize it or believe it, but we often have the beginnings of what we need for our situation within our own house. 

We come to the Lord with a request for assistance and He turns the question back on us, 

“What do you have in the house?” 

As Elisha did with the widow when he used the little bit of oil she had left, the Lord will often take the things in our life that we see as “little” and use them for His glory and our good.  

What are you asking of the Lord today?  

What will your answer be when He asks, 

“What do you have in the house?” 

Nothing we have is too “little” to be used by the Lord!

The early crispness of the morning

Sparkles, a million crystals of light

Fill my vision.

Like the sea glass tears of the summer

The snowy glass tears of the winter are upon us.

A time of miracles and celebrations

makes times of grief more poignant.

Times that bring great joy to the surface

intensifies the sadness underneath.

The Psalms tell me that God holds our tears in a bottle

Perhaps He spills them out on the beach in the summer

and the snow in the winter

a tangible reminder that He sees

and knows

the depth of our grief.

The sunbeam also warming up 

the coolness of the air surrounding

like comforting arms

and safety

and hope for the days ahead.

The Lord made a promise to Simeon.  

He promised him he would not die before he saw the Consolation of Israel.  

Simeon believed God for this promise.  

When Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus into the temple, the Holy Spirit called Simeon into that same temple; and there, the promise of the Lord to Simeon was fulfilled.  

What has the Lord promised you?  

Christmas is a season of many miracles.  

Are you open to the miracles the Lord has for you?  

Are you listening carefully to the Holy Spirit who will lead you to the fulfillment of that which He has promised?  

Or are you caught up in the busy and the expectations of those around you, and even yourself, blocking out the very Voice that will nudge you to be in the right place at the right time to see your promise come to pass? 

It is a season of many pulls and pushes on our time.  

It is a season of much expectation from those around us and within us.  

However, we must take the time this season, to sit and be quiet; to listen for the Voice of God in the stillness.  

We must also learn to listen for the Voice of God in the midst.  

What has the Lord promised you?  

Hold fast to the promise, listen carefully for the Lord and walk boldly in the belief that your miracle is coming!