Mourning had become her constant companion. Her husband had
died and all she had left were her sons and debt. Debt so extravagant that the creditor had
notified her he was coming to get her sons.
Hopelessness and desperation were her first reactions. What was she to do without her husband and
soon without her sons?
In the midst of all this, she remembered what her husband
had told her about God. He told her God
was just and fair. He cared about all
His children and was a very present help to those in need. Her husband even told her God was on her side
and would not let evil come near her.
With all the strength in her bones and conviction in her
heart, she cried out to Elisha, the man of God her husband had served very
well. She reminded Elisha how her
husband had been faithful to God and how he revered God. Through her tears and frustration, she told
Elisha the creditor was coming to take the most precious things she had on
earth, her sons.
The love of God spoke through Elisha, “What do you have in
your house?” This nameless, broken, frustrated woman only had a pot of oil in
her house. Growing sons, debt, needs,
and all she had to live on was a pot of oil. She needed so much more than to pay the
debt. She was in the perfect place for
an extravagant love miracle.
This time she had to stand on the faith her dead husband was
committed to. This time she had to trust the man of God her husband trusted and
served. The spotlight from heaven was on
her and what she did in the next few minutes could change her life forever.
Whether it was her desperation that motivated her to follow
the words of Elisha, or her enduring hope, scripture does not tell us. However, it does tell us she followed the
instructions, and as she poured the oil in each borrowed vessel the little oil
she had continued to flow. As it flowed
into the first pot, the burden of desperation began to lift. The oil kept flowing and depression,
mourning, bitterness and the feelings of being destitute kept lifting. The more the oil flowed the more her joy was
restored, life was restored, and hope was restored. Only when the pots were all filled did the
oil stop flowing.
Extravagant love begins small just as the oil began in one
pot. As you allow God to pour you out to
the world, He created you to be the light in, the oil will flow from person to
person, city to city, nation to nation.
The oil of love will continue to flow until it reaches the last person
on earth. Love never fails.
Wars fail. Fighting fails. Bitterness fails. Control and
manipulation fail. They fail to bring
peace. They fail to end hunger. They fail to return husbands and wives back to
the family. They fail to deliver the
oppressed. They fail to restore the joy
to a sinful soul. They fail to fill the
earth with morality. They fail.
Most importantly, extravagant love of the Father poured out
to His children never fails. It reaches to the highest mountain, and it flows
to the lowest valley. The extravagant
love of Jesus poured from His words. It poured from His silence. It poured from
His torture and death. His extravagant
love for us poured out in victory at His ascension into the heavens where He
left the Holy Spirit to continue to pour His extravagant love in us.
Love speaks
extravagantly when the Holy Spirit lives in the children of God.
This challenge to love as Christ loves cannot be done in
your own strength. It is only available
to those who choose to allow the Holy Spirit to love through their mouth through
the words they speak. He can love
through your hands in the deeds you do.
He can love through your mind in the thoughts you think toward others. His love speaks. The question is, “Will you let His love speak
through you?”
Love speaks extravagantly
over all things that God can use for His glory.
13 Day Love Challenge
Day 13
Make a list of all the people you can show love to
and set a
calendar reminder each month to show love.
