TEXT: ‘Go, sell the oil and pay your debt: and you and your sons live on the rest’ – 2 Kings 4:7 THOUGHT: In Part 1, we looked at Debt, Death and the Desperation of this widow. How a bad situation got worse and was about to deteriorate even further with the imminent arrival of the creditor to take her two sons into slavery. How did this great need get turned around? She brought God into her problem God needs to be invited into our lives as He will not force His way in. God does not seem to mind if we turn to Him as a last resort when we have run out of all other options. The widow appealed to Elisha for help. Those with crippling debts, either end up talking to no one and trying to hide their problem, or to everyone as they try to borrow more money. But do they talk to God? Eventually the widow had no other direction to go in other than heavenward and it became the best move she had ever made. She acted in faith when told what to do Crying out to Elisha, I wonder what she expected him to do! Lend her some money, pay the debt...
Learn MoreTEXT: ‘Go, sell the oil and pay your debt: and you and your sons live on the rest’ – 2 Kings 4:7 THOUGHT: Just seven verses describe the amazing miracle of 2 Kings 4:1-7. Key principles lie hidden within these verses that can help us when facing financial difficulties or prevent them from happening in the first place. So that there is not too much reading I have divided it into two teachings. In this first part we will look at the debt, death and desperation of the widow who was left to pick up the pieces. The Debt The reason why they were in debt is unclear. Perhaps it was a mortgage to buy their first home, a business venture that went wrong or the payment of back-taxes. We can only speculate, but whatever the reason, the consequences had become disastrous. God’s intention for His people was very clear. He wanted them to be the lenders, not the borrowers. ‘You will lend to many nations but you yourself won’t have to take out a loan’ – Deuteronomy 28:12 (The Message). Yet He also recognised that not everyone would achieve such a lifestyle and so provision was made under The Law of Moses to safeguard lending to fellow Israelites....
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‘Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!’ – 2 Corinthians 9:15 THOUGHT: Reading the Book of Ephesians recently I was struck by the number of times Paul refers to the grace of God. Our text says, ‘Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!’ Ephesians 2:8 states that grace is the gift of God. No wonder Christians can sing enthusiastically the hymn “Amazing Grace!” Ephesians reminds us of four ways God’s grace can help us. Saving Grace – ‘In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace’ – Ephesians 1:7. ‘It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!’ – Ephesians 2:5 NLT No one deserves it, but anyone can receive it. Never think you can make it without God’s grace, the mistake the Galatian Christians were making – ‘When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace’ – Galatians 5:4 The Message. Grace keeps our feet firmly on the gospel road, helping us against any temptation to get to God any other way. Serving Grace God’s grace is given to help us function as a Christian within our church and community. The Inclusion...
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