An Empty Vessel

He who sends the storm steers the vessel.  Thomas Adams

Difficulties and obstacles are God's challenges to faith. When hindrances confront us in the path of duty, we are to recognize them as vessels for faith to fill with the fullness and all-sufficiency of Jesus.  A.B. Simpson

When I looked up the definition of vessel it means “a hollow container”.  We all are a vessel or a hollow container waiting to be filled. God can use all of us as a vessel to spread the Word of Jesus Christ, but we must choose to be that vessel. 

Today we are surrounded by things that can distract us from our true purpose in life.  There are all kinds of things that we can fill our vessel with that won’t ever benefit the Kingdom of Heaven.  When we are baptized into a new life with Him, we become a new vessel. 

In the story of Elisha and the widow’s oil we get a picture of what type of vessel God wants us to be.  The story is about a widow whose husband died.  A creditor is on his way to take her two sons to be his slaves.  So she goes to Elisha to ask what she should do.  Elisha asks her “what do you have in the house? And the responds “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”  So Elisha tells her to go out and get as many empty jars as she can find and fill them with oil then set them aside. 

If you look at this story we see that the widow and her sons represent the world. Oil is traditionally used to symbolize the Holy Spirit.  The empty jars stand for those who refuse to believe in God.  You can see the same thing when Jesus told the disciples to go into the world and baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  (Matt. 28:19)

As long as the widow had empty jars the oil expanded to fill them.  As long as people come, there will be enough of the Holy Spirit to fill each of our vessels.  When we receive the Holy Spirit we are set apart just as Elisha told the widow to set aside the full jars.  Our past sins are forgiven and our debts are paid by Jesus death on the cross.

This is an example of salvation by grace, the remission of sin, the redemption of the soul and the gift of everlasting life.  Each one of us is a vessel waiting to be filled.  We can be born again, where our vessel is emptied of sin and refilled with the Holy Spirit.  

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I praise You for giving each of us a way back to You through Jesus Christ.  I want to be a vessel that is filled with the Holy Spirit.  Help me to set aside anything that hinders me from showing others Who You really are.  

   

Scripture: Elisha and the Widow’s Oil

A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”

So Elisha said to her, “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 but a jar of oil.”

Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.”

So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. ⁶ Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.”

And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. 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 live on the rest.”  2 Kings 4:1-7