Who Do I Trust to “run the life of me”?
“And she said,
(The Second Book of the Kings 4: 2b-3 NASB)
“Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.”
Then he said,
“Go,
borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors,
even empty vessels;
do not get a few.”
If you have walked the face of the earth long enough, then you have reached those magical ages of eighteen, twenty-one, and (possibly even sixty-five). Maybe you have voiced a statement such as this—“When I’m _____, I’ll be the boss of me.”
Truthfully, eighteen really has the special significance to allow (in America) the right to vote. Then, at twenty-one, the coveted driver’s license card turns from one printed vertically to a horizontal layout that all “adults” carry in their wallets.
Even the age of twenty-five held a certain powerful mindset for me because that is when I told God: “Hey, God, I am old enough, & I am finished playing. I think I am old enough now, so You can go ahead and bless me with a child, with six boys that You know I want.” Looking back, I recall how the LORD allowed me to wait eight more years, growing me up in my faith, no doubt, before He blessed us with a child, for it was on our thirteenth anniversary when we brought home our baby girl—a daughter.
Now, as I enter my fifty-eighth year of life, many ask me that important question: “How many more years will you work before you retire?” In the world, we enter the workforce in our young adult years and faithfully march toward the end, be it retirement at the age of sixty-two, sixty-five, seventy, OR if you are an educator, at the twenty-seventh year of one’s teaching career.
As I write this morning, I recall a conversation my husband and I had one evening with a financial planner. The purpose was to determine if we had saved “enough” for our retirement years. The question asked: At what age do you hope to retire. My husband was asked first, and then it was my turn. I still remember the man’s laughter of disbelief when I replied: “I want to retire when I am eighty-five.” Of course, after his laughter, he asked why, to which I spoke of my Grandma Hall and her dedication to work until that age. If she saw the value of working until eighty-five, then why should I not also strive for that as well? However, as I recall this conversation, I wonder if my answer was my prideful response or a response of godliness, trusting my FATHER to “run the life of me” as HE SEES FIT?!
In the Bible narrative at the beginning of this writing, the widow and her two sons were destitute. We are told within the narrative how the widow was a woman of faith because she “feared the LORD; . . .”, and we also learn that the creditor has come to take possession of her two sons, who would become slaves, if she was unable to pay her debt.
“Elisha said to her,
(The Second Book of the Kings 4: 2 NASB)
“What shall I do for you?
Tell me, what do you have in the house?”
And she said,
“Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.”
- Soon, they would run out of oil because she only had one remaining jar.
- Soon, she would not be able to cook for her children.
- Soon, they would die because they would have no oil to cook with, even if she was given some grain.
God’s servant—the prophet Elisha—gave her specific, faith-requiring directions to follow.
“Then he said,
(The Second Book of the Kings 4: 2b-3 NASB)
“Go,
borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors,
even empty vessels;
do not get a few.”
- Go. Do not stay as you are.
- Borrow containers from those who you know.
- Ask for empty containers, for vessels open and ready.
- Do not just ask your neighbors for one or two vessels but ask for several.
Who Do I Trust to “run the life of me”?
- Do we look at our situations, throw up our hands and exclaim: “There’s no hope.”?
- Do we wallow in our own life-situations, thinking we are all alone?
- Do we see ourselves in the mirror, thinking, “I’m not worth saving.”?
- Do we lack faith?
LET US NOT PLACE OUR TRUST IN OURSELVES!
Let us not say that we believe in God, the Creator of the world and all things, &
then, say to God: “I’ll run my own life. I’ve got this. God, I’ll call on Your help when I need You.”
MAY WE INSTEAD—TRUST GOD, OUR CREATOR WHO LOVES US IMMENSELY!
As the Bible narrative unfolds, we see the faithful widow doing just as the prophet Elisha instructed. She sent her two sons to collect many, empty vessels. After the collection, the prophet then directs her.
“And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons,
(The Second Book of the Kings 4: 4-7 NASB)
and pour out into all these vessels,
and you shall set aside what is full.”
So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons;
they were bringing the vessels to her and she poured.
When the vessels were full, she said to her son,
“Bring me another vessel.”
And he said to her,
“There is not one vessel more.”
And the oil stopped.
Then she came and told the man of God.
And he said,
“Go,
sell the oil
and pay your debt,
and you and your sons can live on the rest.”
May we each ask ourselves this all-important question of faith—
Who Do I Trust to “run the life of me”?
- May we each kneel on our knees, seeking forgiveness for our attempt to usurp God’s rightful place as KING of kings & LORD of lords of everything and everyone—including you and me.
- May we offer all we have to give—to our Father—despite how small we may actually feel.
- May we offer up our sacrifice of praise—to our LORD.
- May we lay our offering upon—the LORD’s altar—& stand amazed as He directs our earthly steps and uses our lives—to bring Honor & Glory to HIM!
May we each recall this all-important Statement of Faith—
“Now to Him
(The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians 3: 20-21 NASB)
who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think,
according to the power that works within us,
to Him be the glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus,
to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”
This post is exactly what I was looking for. You’ve addressed all the questions I had and provided clear, actionable advice.
Thank you for your kind words. In reading, I paused to go back and read the post, so that I could remember because daily I study and write and post. In reading, I was reminded of who must be n charge of believers–God. Only God can direct our steps and walk us toward the future He has planned for us. My struggle: Daily allowing Him to direct me, all of me.
Thank you, again. I appreciate your comment & hope you continue to read daily.