Article July 12, 1982 Issue

The richness of God's love

LOIS SAUER DEGLER

How timely and instructive the experiences recounted in the Bible remain today! While the particulars of an account may not be exactly comparable to those of our present technological age, the lesson provided is eternally applicable. Consider, for instance, how Elisha helped a widow pay her debt.^{ See II Kings 4:1–7 .}

The woman sought out this man of God when a creditor threatened to take her sons to be bondmen. In response to Elisha's question "What hast thou in the house?" she reported that all she had was a pot of oil. He told her to borrow many empty vessels and then, after shutting the door to their home, to fill the containers from the pot of oil, every vessel was filled. Elisha told her to sell the oil, pay the debt, and use the rest for her and her sons' living.

This story certainly has lessons for us today. The widow was in great distress; she had a serious financial need. And by turning to the man of God, the woman affirmed her trust in God's love and care. When Elisha asked her to borrow vessels—perhaps a strange request—she was obedient and expectant. Following his advice, she borrowed a lot of them. Imagine if she'd disobeyed and borrowed only a few! Her trust, her expectancy, and her obedience were so important because the oil stopped flowing when there were no more containers.

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The richness of God's love

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