The Jubilee Singers sang a special in the morning service before Pastor Bob Sorensen brought a message he called, “Keeping the oil well pumping.”
2 Kings 4:1-7 tells about an impoverished widow who asked the help of Elisha, the prophet of God. She was in a predicament. Creditors had come to take her sons as bondmen to repay a debt she could not pay. Her husband had been a man that feared the Lord, but he had died. She was in a predicament, through no fault of her own, but she did the right thing in going to the man of God. Many times people get into a predicament because of sin and go everywhere, but to the Lord for help. They need to be told and admit that there is a sin problem.
Now the woman faced a real threat to her home. The creditors had come and her children could be taken from her. Today the home faces a similar threat with an anti-God, anti-home movement taking over the popular media. The gospel is being banned in schools and public places. Children are being taken into a different kind of bondage. Moral decency has fallen to an all time low.
The prophet had a plan. Go borrow vessels, “not a few.” When Elisha had asked, “What hast thou?” She had nothing but a pot of oil, but her situation was not as hopeless as she thought. She was told to pour the oil into the vessels and to sell it to pay her debt. We in America need not think our situation is hopeless. If we have a little oil (the Holy Spirit), and if we borrow empty vessels (lost souls who have not the Holy Spirit), and pour our oil into those empty vessels, victory can be ours. If God be for us, who can be against us.
The widow believed the prophet, she did as he said. She poured oil into the vessels until all of them were full. She sold enough to pay the debt and she and her sons lived on the rest. As Christians we have been told to tell the gospel to every living creature. That may be handing out tracts, it may be speaking to someone personally, or bringing people to church to hear the gospel.
The oil kept flowing as long as there were empty vessels brought to her. She could have filled more vessels. When the sons stopped bringing empty vessels, the oil stopped flowing. Likewise, there is no shortage of the Holy Spirit, but of vessels to receive it. When we stop bringing in people to hear the gospel, when we close our Bibles, stop praying and stop witnessing to others, the oil stops flowing.
When your sin debt is paid and you are living on what is left, remember what Jesus has done for you and keep the oil well pumping.
