Entrepreneurship THE WIDOW’S OIL

Dear Friends,

This morning, I was reading in the Bible about the Widow’s Oil. (2 Kings 4:1-7)

The widow was the wife of a prophet, that is, a godly man. She was in so much debt that her creditors wanted to take her two sons as slaves to pay the debt.

The widow, in her faith, went to Elisha, the Prophet, for help.

Elisha asked her what she had in her house.

She replied, “Nothing, except for a little oil”.

Elisha instructed her to collect as many jars as she could, and fill them with the oil, and she would be able to pay her debts.

She was obedient. She did exactly as she was instructed by Elisha. She collected numerous jars, shut the door of her house, and as she began to pour the oil… it kept flowing… until every jar was filled!

She experienced a financial miracle!

As I read this, there were many things that came to mind. Firstly, this woman was married to a godly man, and was a woman of faith. God will always honour those who are committed to a life of pleasing Him.

This woman recognised Elisha as a Prophet, a Man of God. She went to him for counsel, and obeyed his every instruction to her. She did not doubt or try to “reason” out his instructions. She knew that her miracle was in her obedience.

I think it is important that each of us have a Man or Woman of God in our lives that we can go to for godly counsel.

What really stirred me about this miracle was that I began to see it as entrepreneurship.

I wondered, what is the “little oil” that I have in my own house? What do I have that I could reproduce to create a financial miracle?

And so I share this with you, my friends. What is your talent or gifting? What do you like to do that could make you some extra money? Sewing? Baking? Kitchen gardening? A pre-school?

Just ask the Holy Spirit to show you what you can do to generate income. He alone, knows the area that He will financially bless in your life.

“Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.” (Eccles. 11:6 NIV)