divineinsight:BY HUMPHREY MTANDWA
The Bible carries the story of a widow who was left in debt when her husband died. The Bible relates how the husband was a prophet and, strangely, when the woman was in trouble she went to another prophet for a solution. Upon arrival, the prophet she had visited instructed her to go and borrow again and she trusted his counsel.
Curiously, the woman’s late husband had left her in trouble because of borrowing. The late prophet had borrowed a lot, pushing them into a vicious cycle of debt. What was different about this new instruction is that not only did it help the woman out of debt, but left her with enough to take care of her family.
The prophet Elisha asked her to borrow vessels from her neighbours and pour into them the little oil that was left in her household. Although both men were prophets, they had different perspectives and produced different results because of that. Prophet Elisha was more experienced and had more wisdom than the late prophet. He understood that at times a breakthrough comes when one pours what they already have into other people’s lives. He wanted to show this widow that if her husband had poured out from his life into other people’s lives, he would have never lived in debt and would have left his family in a better position. The bones of the same Elisha who helped the widow revived a dead man and yet he died from a simple sickness. One can carry solutions for others and yet he himself die of the same problems he can solve for others.
The widow may have lived in poverty when her husband had the ability to repeat the same miracle she saw through Elisha. Imagine the widow’s husband borrowed money because he lacked the ability to multiply money. Prophet Elisha knew her solution could only come if she used what she already had and multiply it through others. She only borrowed vessels to pour in what she already had.
Moses was asked what was in his hand and replied that he had a rod. Sometimes the solution to what you are going through is already in your hand, but like the prophet, you may die in debt yet carry answers for your family. The widow understood the power and potential the ministry of the prophet had and that was why she sought Elisha.
The vessels she borrowed were not even enough. She could have poured oil into more vessels and her only limitation was that her neighbours had run out of vessels. The neighbours had the vessels, but they did not have the oil and the blessing to multiply that oil. Any person who is wealthy understands the value of community and relationships. At times what is stopping you from succeeding is not your ability or talents, but what you don’t have are vessels to pour in what is in your life.
At times we need the wisdom like that imparted to the widow to go and borrow vessels to pour out what is already in us. These vessels can be people, nations or anything that can accommodate your gift, allowing you to multiply what has been released in your life.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Don’t be like the prophet who died in debt when he could have left his family in wealth because he could not identify what he already had and pour it out into borrowed vessels. I instruct you today, go borrow vessels and pour out what God has put in your life.
God bless you.
l Humphrey Mtandwa is an anointed minister of the gospel and teacher of the Word based in South Africa. He has written several books including The Enoch Generation, Truthfulness and Theophany. He blogs at mtandwa.blogspot.com and can be contacted via e-mail or WhatsApp on +27 610286350.
