Be Strong & Courageous & Do the Work

Read 2 Kings 4:1-37

In this passage, we read two stories about two separate women. First, we read about the widow of a prophet who is facing extreme debt after the loss of her husband, and she comes to Elisha for help. He asks her “what do you have?” and she responds that her only remaining material possession of any worth is a small flask of oil. Elisha instructs her to collect jars from her neighbors and pour the oil into the jars, and miraculously, the oil didn’t stop flowing until she ran out of jars! She was then able to sell the oil and pay off the debts.

In the second story, we read about the Shunammite woman whose son passed away suddenly. In response, the woman visited Elisha to share the news, who then returned home with her and brought the boy back to life.

Both of these stories tell of two women in desperate times of crisis and need. I can only imagine the overwhelming grief and loss they felt in their circumstances, and the financial and logistical demands that only piled on. These passages illustrate that God is our provider, that we should offer what we have, and that He can do so much with so little.

It also teaches us that even in God’s miracles, there is still work required of us. One of my favorite verses is Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” So encouraging! One of my good friends has a favorite verse as well, it’s 1 Chronicles 28:20 that says “Be strong and courageous and do the work.” Hmph. Mine sounds easier.

The women in both of our stories offered what they had in faith. They were strong and courageous with their faith and they expected God to create a miracle. But they also had to do the work. The Shunammite woman had to travel 15 miles one way on the back of a donkey. The widow had to visit all of her neighbors and awkwardly ask for all their empty jars, and then sell them once they were full. Anyone who’s ever tried to sell something on Facebook Marketplace or for their kid’s school fundraiser knows this is no easy task. And it’s not a quick fix either – it takes time, it might take multiple payments, and it takes persistence and patience.

This work probably also provided some purpose. I don’t know about you, but when I face a crisis, I want to feel helpful. I want a job. I want to do something about it. I imagine this grieving widow who suddenly has something to do. Something that could give her hope and purpose and frankly, a way to keep her hands busy.

We read about these miracles in Scripture and we are encouraged, but we tend to look at the miracle in a vacuum. We just think about the outcome; “Yay, he’s healed!” or “Yay, she has money to pay her debts!” or “Yay, the waters have been parted and they were saved from the Egyptians!” Of course, there is nothing wrong with celebrating the outcome of these miracles! But if that’s as far as we look, then we will inappropriately apply this to our life – have you ever just wanted God to provide a miracle and make everything better?

These two passages show us that just because He provides the miracle, there may still be work for us to do. We still must collect the jars and sell the oil, we still must gather the faith to make the journey, and we still must pass through the parted sea with threatening walls of water on either side. Because of that, we find ourselves disappointed because even though we received the miracle, it’s not what we expected.

Instead, if we were to read these scriptures, celebrate the miracles, and take an observational view of the setting and the circumstances of the participants in the miracle, our perspective of God might change. It would shift from that of a “genie in a bottle” who grants our heart’s deepest desires and takes away our sufferings in the snap of His fingers, to a loving Father who sees our needs, meets our needs, and also walks alongside us as we work out our salvation through His provision. As a result, we navigate through this miracle and transition into a more mature human being. We are reminded that this side of heaven is not our home, not where we are supposed to be, and as such the perfection we desire cannot be found here, it can only be found in eternity. Even when God provides the miracle and fixes our problems, there is still transition, there is still growth, and we must do our part to participate in the miracle.

Be strong and courageous.

And do the work.