God's Unwavering Faithfulness

Around here lately money has been tight. Well actually it's usually tight, but lately it's been even tighter than usual. We've been doing our best and by the grace of God we've had everything we need and some of the things we want. Our method is to focus on food and then fill in the blanks after that.

We keep a somewhat vegetarian diet with fish being our main Source of protein. I try not to fry things, but when I bake I still use a little bit of oil to keep things from sticking to the pan. Because of this we buy large gallon bottles of oil. That way we'll have it for awhile. Well, a month ago I noticed that the oil was getting low. Pay day came and we decided not to get another bottle of oil just yet, and instead buy more food.

Now these bottles of oil aren't that expensive. It's not like we strain to buy the oil normally. But this time around we just thought it best not to purchase another bottle. I watched as the oil got down to almost the last bit and I just figured we'd make it. I knew that God would provide, because He always does.

I made dinner and went to get what I thought was the last of the oil. I poured out what I needed, but the bottle didn't empty. I made dinner another night, and the bottle did not empty.  It has been close to three weeks and that bottle of oil still has not emptied!

I can't help but praise God for this. I can't help but share this with other people. For some this may be a small thing. But for me and my family, that oil not running out has been a huge blessing.

I'm reminded of the story of the widow's oil in 2 Kings 4:1-6. Now of course the widow wasn't using her oil to cook with, but, God still gave her all the oil she needed. How great is His faithfulness!

"Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. ²And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. ³Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. ⁴And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. ⁵So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. ⁶And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed."