The Action of Faith

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 little oil."  II Kgs. 4:2


Perhaps you may remember that the prophet Elisha was the successor of the great prophet Elijah.  Elisha too however was a great prophet in his own right.  Elisha was a man of extraordinary faith who could see the power of God at work in the affairs of everyday life.  Indeed, that was the essence of his greatness.

For Elisha, faith was not found in what one said about faith.  Faith was based in action. Action was evidence of faith and nothing else.

Our narrative is about a woman who had been the wife of a man 'from the company of the prophets.'  The man was now dead and his poor widow had been set upon by her late husband's creditor.  The creditor must be paid or he would take the widow's two sons as slaves for the debt.  The distressed widow took her situation to Elisha.

When she meets Elisha the first thing that he said to her was not, "How are you this fine day?"  She cries out to him and told him her distressing story.  There was an urgency in her tone of voice that resonated with Elisha.  He therefore asks her how he could help her.

He was not condescending and nor was he patronizing to her.  He had genuine concern for her and noted the compelling agony of her heart.  Still he asked her how could he assist her?  Curiously, he said to her, "What do you have in your house?"

What did that have to do with her situation?  Why did he need to know that?  Her life was coming apart and she was being devoured by fear and anxiety before him  How could he ask about what was in her house?

She said, "Nothing...except a little oil."

He told her to go around and ask all her neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for a few.  "Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons.  Pour the oil into the jars, as each is filled, put to one side.  She kept pouring until all the available jars were filled.

She went and told Elisha of the extra-normal event of the filling of the jars, and he instructed her further to go, sell, and pay your debt.  She did so and the remaining money provided an income for she and her family.

My friend, faith is a verb in the Scriptures.  It is demonstrated in what we do.  The widow believed the words of the prophet.

God helps those who believe His Word.

For more information about Dr. Josiah Rich and his teaching ministry, please visit his website.