Poured Out

Scripture to Ponder:

2 Kings 4:1-7

Reflecting over stages of life often brings perspective. The ebb and flow of the waves of life. The seasons it brings. The long line of people that enter and exit from the span of our days. The close friends who fade away and the ones that seem to come into our lives at exactly the right time. Very few things in this life are dependable and constant. Things change, whether we want them to or not, but one thing you can be certain of is that at some point, at some time, life is going to get hard. You are going to find yourself in a season of suffering.

Welp.

That's all.

See you next month.

Don't worry… I won't leave you on that depressive thought, feeling hopeless. Thankfully, Christ doesn't either. No, he's the one we meet when we go inside with our suffering and close the door.

Pause here to read the passage if you haven't already, or read it again with emphasis on verse 5.

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“She poured out.”

That single phrase has etched itself into my mind and became a mantra through suffering.

Here's a woman that has already suffered the loss of her husband and is now facing losing her two sons. The level of hopelessness and devastation, I imagine, would be overwhelming. It would be hard to not just pull the covers over your head and ignore reality. But Sis, her faith was so beautiful.

She didn't throw up her hands in resignation because she trusted her Lord. She sought how to be obedient. Here comes that beautifully sacred moment. After she gathered vessels, she went inside and closed the door. In her home, alone with the Lord and her sons, she poured out. Can you imagine the presence of the Lord in that moment when the oil just continued to pour out? The worship that overflowed from the overflowing vessels. The faith that expanded in her son's hearts as they watched their mother’s obedience be rewarded.

Sis, she was asked to fill vessels she didn't have with oil she didn't have. Think on that. Can you imagine going to all your friends and neighbors to borrow vessels to fill with oil you don't have? I can imagine the conversations she was having and the looks she was getting. ‘ Who was at the door honey? Oh, just the neighbor Susie, I think she's officially lost it.’ But, she trusted her father and knew he was faithful.

If you don't fully trust your heavenly Father you can't take bold steps in faith.

She knew the Lord. She trusted him. So she walked each step in faith, knowing he would be faithful, just as he promised.

I don't know what your circumstances are, but one thing I do know is that the Lord is faithful. He is able to do exceedingly abudantly above all that we ask or think. We just have to trust him and walk in obedience. We have to get behind closed doors with our Papa and keep pouring out in obedience. He is faithful to meet us there in our suffering. He is constant, unchanging, and our sustainer through this life.

Questions to Consider:

1) What circumstances am I facing that I need to close the door and pour out in obedience?

2) Do I fully trust that he is faithful?

3) Am I seeking the Lord and seeking to follow in obedience daily?