Reverend Michael Mwangi
Senior Pastor, Fedha Church, Kenya Assemblies of God
2 Kings 4:1-7
4 The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”
2 Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”
“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”
3 Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbours for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”
5 She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”
But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”
The widowed wife of one of the sons of the prophets, had debts and no means to pay them. She had to give her sons as slaves servants to her creditor as payment for the debts.
As much as it seems inhumane the creditor was within his rights and the law allowed it until the year of Jubilee. Maybe you are in such a space as we speak. I have good news. This is a year of divine increase.
Verse 2 - How can I help you?
Year 2025 God is more than ready to give us an increase if we are ready for it.
In Mark 10:51
Jesus asks a blind man, "What can I do for you?"
He is not just ready but also willing.
Matthew 8
2. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
3. Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.
GOD has no limit because He is a God of abundance. Ni sisi tu (It is only us who can) we can limit ourselves but he wants us to stretch out to our best. This year kuwa na maono makubwa na matuamaini kamili (have a big vision and perfect hope).
Ephesians 3
20. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
He is ready to pour His abundance if you prepare enough capacity to hold His outpouring. This is a year of great dreams and expectations as we stretch out our faith.
That's why He is encouraging us to enlarge our tent, Stretch out your tent curtains, lengthen your chords strengthen your pegs... because He is ready to fill to the capacity we will provide.
What do you have...?
Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil: it is believed this jar of oil was not a larger supply held for cooking, but a smaller vessel that held only oil for anointing.
God asked Moses the same question when he felt he had nothing to accomplish the mega task of delivering the Israelites from the mighty Pharaoh.
Exodus 4
1. Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”
2. Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied.
Moses thought...just a staff which I have had always had and meant nothing ... mare stuff ..not even sufficient to command these sheep. But God would increase the power of this staff to perform miracles that convinced Pharaoh to release the Israelites.
What do you have?
What stuff do you have? Most likely you think nothing and if iko (it is there) you regard it as nothing juu so far haijakusaidia, najua tu kupika chapati...(because so far it has not helped you, for example, I only know how to cook chapati.)
Last year we positioned ourselves to possess. Did you possess anything no matter how small it is? May be few coins... opportunities... connection?. God can increase this to unimaginable levels.
Some of us possessed in the spirit and even though invisible it is sufficient for God your little or nothing in God’s hands is more than enough.
The miracles of five loaves and the two fish
Matthew 14
15. As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”
16. Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17. “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.
Andrew thought it was nothing ...but in God's hand, it is everything.
John 6
9. “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
Maybe you only have no money just a pledge for this year ... God can multiply that. Everyone of us has something only that we don't realize because to you it seems like nothing. Ama wewe tu unaona shida zako tu kiasi huoni kile kidogo uko nacho (Or you only see your problems so much that you don't see what little you have).
Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbours:
Elisha made this woman commit herself in faith to God’s provision. To borrow vessels in this manner invited awkward questions, but she did as the word of God through His prophet commanded her. She did not just borrow from one neighbour or somewhere but everywhere possible. She went all the way.
Some of us have skills, businesses, opportunities properties for sale. This year get the word out there and advertise, julisha majirani wote, god will convince them to take your services. Shida unajidharau unaona hiyo kaa si kitu. You are comparing what you have na wengine. Unasahau this is your season. Step out in faith usiogope maswali. Yule mama hakujali wakimuuliza hii mitungiyote ni ya nini? Hata wewe watakuuliza , masomo. Experience but go for it anyway. (Some of us have skills, businesses, opportunities properties for sale. This year get the word out there and advertise, let all the neighbors know that God will convince them to take your services. The problem is you look down on yourself, you see that as if that is nothing. You are comparing what you have with others. You forget this is your season. Step out in faith and don't be afraid of questions. The mother did not care if they asked her what all these jars are for? Even you will be asked, e.g. your level of education, experience... but go for it anyway.)
Every promise of God puts a requirement on our side. Our increase in year 2025 is pegged on us seeking God with all of our hearts. There is an extent clause. With all of your heart - not half-heartedly.
The woman did what she was commanded to do: she did it in faith; and received her miraculous increase.
She obeyed and received a great increase.
From one small jar to many jars of oil. Her miracle was to the extent that she obeyed.
She received an oil increase according to the jars she gathered. The oil continued to pour until the last jar she had. When there was no more jar, the oil ceased flowing.
The capacity we will create for God to work in our Ives will determine how much of Him we will experience.
The woman was asked not to ask for a few but as much as she could get.
God is not just asking us to seek Him anyway but, we must seek Him with all of our hearts. Total devotion.
If we make Him our priority He makes us a priority.
“You have God in the measure in which you desire Him. Only remember that the desire that brings God must be more than a feeble, fleeting wish. Wishing is one thing; willing is quite another. Lazily wishing and strenuously desiring are two entirely different postures of mind; the former gets nothing and the latter gets everything, gets God, and with God all that God can bring.” (Maclaren)
So those who will be casual in seeking God forget about the increase. You therefore must purpose if you are in for it or out of it.
Some points to note:
i). As long as the woman kept pouring there was oil flowing into the empty jars
This means that the distribution of the oil into the other vessels required constant pouring and allowing the oil to supernaturally fill the small vessel again.
We need to constantly seek God this year for our increase to be assured. Isikuwe ni January (Even if it is January). Let us purpose to devote our year 2025 to seeking God faithfully in season and out of season.
ii). The vessels also had to be empty before they could be filled with oil
An empty vessel has space and capacity thus it seeks to be filled resulting in an increase.
Our lives and hearts sometimes are so full that there is no time, place or room for God. This year let's Empty everything that will hinder us from experiencing God cutting out our increase.
2 Corinthians 7
1. Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
"It is not our emptiness, but our fullness which can hinder the outgoings of free grace.” (Spurgeon)
We need to decongest our schedules and make time and room for God. We must be intentional in our devotions. If we have no time for God neither will He have time for us.
So the oil ceased:
The miracle was given according to the measure of her faith. She borrowed enough so the excess oil was sold and provided money to pay the debt to the creditor and to provide for the future. Had she borrowed more, more would have been provided; had she gathered less, less would have been provided.
You are the determining factor
She was herself to measure out what she should have; and I believe that you and I, in the matter of divine, have more to do with the measurement of our mercies than we think. We make our blessings little, by our failure to obey in faith.
Our increase will depend on our willingness and preparedness to seek Him.
There was no oil to pour on nothing. It was intended for a prepared vessel. Each vessel had to be prepared by being gathered, assembled, emptied, put in the right position and staying in the right position. When there was no more prepared vessel, the oil stopped. As long as there was no prepared vessel, the oil ceased.
Go sell and pay debt and live on the extra
God's increase will deliver you and sustain you. The woman sold the oil, paid her debts and lived on the extra.
God's increase is unlimited but again your willingness will determine how much you want to receive.
What plans and measures have you put in place to seek God?
What time and how much of it are you setting aside to seek God?
Are you wishing or are you willing?
What you have purposed is what you will possess?
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