Have you ever felt empty? It's a feeling we all encounter at some point in our lives. This emptiness can leave us numb, lonely, without purpose, and without hope. In my experience, this feeling doesn't come on suddenly but develops over time. It's usually a result of overextending and overcommitting myself. Because of these choices, I often end up feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and lacking time.
Maybe you can relate to this. Operating from a place of overwhelm and exhaustion leads us to a state of depletion, where we feel empty and have nothing left to give. We struggle to read our Bible, offer a short prayer, or engage in heartfelt worship. We feel very little joy and become disconnected from God. The truth is, we’ve given so much to the demands of life that we have very little left to offer to others and to God.
In 2 Kings Chapter 4, we find a widow in a similar place that many of us can relate to. Her husband, who revered the Lord, had passed away, leaving her with only her two sons. A creditor was coming to collect on her debt was going to take her sons away to be his slaves. In desperation, she cried out to Elisha for help. Elisha responded, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”
The widow replied, “Your servant has nothing there at all, except a little oil.”
The widow found herself in a place of desperation, with nothing to offer the creditor for her debt except for her two sons. Although my experience is different, I have often felt desperation when the demands of life become overwhelming. The constant pressures and expectations can leave me feeling like I have nothing left to give and that I have left is a little oil.
Oil is symbolic of God’s presence, blessing, anointing, and the Holy Spirit. Often times when we are operating from a place of overwhelm and exhaustion, we feel as if we have only a "little oil". We find that we may not have much to offer God in our prayers, praise, and especially our time.
Elisha gave the widow specific instructions. He asked her to go to her neighbors and ask for their empty jars. Then go inside, shut the door, and begin to pour oil into all the jars. The widow obeyed. She began to fill all the jars until each one was full. Because of her obedience, God replenished and multiplied her oil so that she could pay her debt and even live off of what was left.
There is something so impactful about shutting the door and praying. It’s an act of separating ourselves from the world and devoting our time and focus to God. When I feel empty inside, what I need most is not another commitment to the world but a commitment to spending time with God and reading His word.
By shutting the door to distractions and turning off the noise, I turn to God, and He is able to refill and replenish what was lost in me. He can take the little oil that I have left and multiply it until my heart is full of joy, strength, hope and His presence once again.
If you find yourself feeling empty and desperate, with nothing left except a little oil, do what the widow did. Take your emptiness, shut the door, and pour your heart out to the Lord. When you begin to pour your heart out to Him, He will honor and bless you. More importantly, He will begin to refill and replenish you.
Friends, don't hesitate. Bring your empty jars before the Lord.
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