2 Kings 4:6

SUPPLY PROPORTIONED TO FAITH

‘And the oil stayed.’

2 Kings 4:6

What a sorrowful confession! There was no reason why it should stay. There was as much oil as ever, and the power which had made so much could have gone on without limit or exhaustion. The only reason for the ceasing of the oil was in the failure of the vessels. The widow and her sons had secured only a limited number of vessels, and therefore there was only a scanty supply of the precious oil.

I. This is why so many of God’s promises are unfulfilled in your experience.—In former days you kept claiming their fulfilment; frequently you brought God’s promises to Him and said, ‘Do as Thou hast said.’ Vessel after vessel of need was brought empty and taken away full. But of late years you have refrained, you have rested on your oars, you have ceased to bring your need. Hence the dwindling supply.

II. This is why your life is not so productive of blessing as it might be.—You do not bring vessels enough. You think that God has wrought as much through you as He can or will. You do not expect Him to fill the latter years of your life as He did the former.

III. This is why the blessing of a Mission stays in its course.—As long as the Missioner remains with us we can look for the continuance of blessing. But after a while we say ‘Let the services stop, they have run their course and fulfilled their end.’ And forthwith the blessing stops in mid-flow. Let us bring the empty vessels of our poor effort for God to fill them up to the full measure of their capacity.

Illustration

‘It is the lesson of this story—a homely and familiar lesson, but one which is for ever true and blessed—that the Lord will provide. The firm conviction that He will keep His word, and will take care that His labourers have whatever is essential to their maintenance and to the fulfilment of their righteous obligations: is it not much to be desired? I require the easy mind, the calm tranquillity, the restful and victorious spirit, if His tasks are to be well done and His battles well fought. He who wars for the Heavenly King must not entangle himself with the affairs of this life, and must not hamper his movements by forebodings and misgivings and doubts. He must walk at liberty. He must rejoice always. He must believe and be sure that he “repairs to a full fountain,” and that his glorious Lord will supply all his need. “If you seek first the Kingdom of Heaven,” writes Matthew Henry, “you shall have food and raiment by way of overplus, as he that buys goods hath paper and packthread given him over and above into the bargain.” ’