"...and she filled one after another. Soon every container was filled to the brim."
2 Kings 4:5-6
2 Kings 4:5-6
My Take Aways
Something Old:
It was beautiful to remember my precious moment at the altar with the Lord. I was certainly filled to the brim that morning. He is so and has been so faithful to me.
Something New:
Elijah and Elisha parted the water with Elijah's cloak.
This makes 4 times waters have been parted.
Something to Do:
Spend time thanking and praising God for answering prayers concerning Scott's health.
The rest of the story:
Scott went to the Mayo clinic in late 2008. He finally met a doctor who correctly diagnosed him with RA-Rheumatoid Arthritis. He was prescribed the right medicine for his eye and it has been stabilized ever since with only minimal damage to his sclera. Today, his RA is under control and he is enjoying life in good health.
24 Comments:
Wendy - I want to thank you for sharing your story about Scott with us on the vlog. What a testimony to God's control and faithfuless. Wow... I am really overwhelmed by the answered prayers this group of women is experiencing and sharing with one another.
I, too, really enjoyed this reading today. The story of Elijah and Elisha following him made me think of 1) Peter being asked 3 times if he knew Jesus - I guess it was just the number 3 that jarred my mind in similarities, and 2) Ruth and Naomi - when the Naomi kept urging her DIL, Ruth, to go on home and she so faithfully kept by her side.
My to do: Be willing to bring God my jars to fill up. I am one of those "I can do it on my own just fine" people. I need to humble myself and admit that my jars, even if I think they are full, are not even close if I am trying to fill them myself.
Quick update on my dad, Fred: Thank you so much for your prayers, by the way. He is coming home today. My mom, my dad, and I are all quite nervous about this as he is still in a LOT of pain and ordinary tasks are extremely difficult. So the surgery was successful, and the recovery is going to be a long and painful road, it looks like. Thank you for your continued prayers. Praise God for all of his healing powers!!
Have a great day!
Kate in VA
PS - I changed my profile picture - those are my 2 sweet girls!
Kate
Good Sunny Morning Friends~
Wendy, thank you for sharing that personal story and opening up your life and testimony about Scott to us. My husband will be turning 40 next January and I am praying this whole year it will be a life changing year for him. That he will go into the next decade knowing the Lord and that he will take steps to better health. He promised to go get a check up when he has his birthday :)
Speaking of my husband, I have a huge praise to share with you all. I thank you for praying for his salvation, his name is listed on our prayer list. God is moving and working in amazing ways here in our home. We have VBS this week and he is playing the role of the main superhero for our "Superheros in Training" week. The theme song is that Jesus is our superhero, our true superhero and I am praying that my husband's eyes will be opened in huge ways this week to this truth. He went to church this past weekend, even service! Satan's hold on him is being broken off and I see light and I just wanted to share and thank those of you that pray over that list. I can't wait to share the huge praise of his salvation! I feel it is coming sooner than later :)
My To-Do: Lord, I bring You my jars today to fill. I need You every moment of every day and I know that You alone can fill me. I pray my husband will bring You his empty jars as well and may he realize that everything else he tries to fill them with will never satisfy.
Kate, your girls are adorable! I SAP for your dad and his release to come home. PTL for a successful surgery and prayers for the recovery.
You all have a blessed day! We are off to run errands and the pool, home for a nap them VBS tonight.
Blessings,
Brandee, TN
Just posting again to get comments in my email...it has not been working right lately for some reason???
Wendy,
Thank you. I think all of us have something we have been praying and believing for and I thank you for confirming I need to lay it on the alter. Letting my jars be filled.
Have a blessed day everyone,
Lynn
Wendy thank you sooo much for your faithfulness & being real. Your v-log today has help me so much, as I too am battling RA-Rheumatoid Arthritis. Mine is not under-control yet. But I now know the Lord wants me to take my empty jars to HIM. My fears, worries, & pain I put before the Lord & I am asking for all to pray for me. Thank you.
I was going over past reading this morning & on 6/11 in 1Kings 19:11-12 the LORD was in the sound of a gentle whisper. This jumped out at me. I need to stop with the running around & listen! I need to hear the whisper of direction He wants to take me.
Wendy thank you again for your honesty! You have blessed me beyond what you can imagine. May our might God bless you & yours with health, happiness & joy!
Blessings & Peace, Mary
GM Wendy I love your "rest of the story". Many times God doesn't reveal the "rest of the story" to us. He didn't with Job. But our responsibility is to "fill our jars" and let God. Just let go and give it to God.
My BD (beautiful daughter) must do this -rest and listen - this morning.
I would never have thought that I would have the worship experience I had this morning - my face on my desk - in front of a computor. God uses everything.
Thank you Wendy, for leading us this way today.
Donna -TX
Wendy, what a beautiful testimony to God's Spirit guiding you! You bless us all with your sincerity. The burdens we try to carry are so heavy on our own, but it is so so hard to let go of our control. I am a private person too, and putting myself into your place makes me think I wouldn't have had the courage to follow through. But it is God who gives us strength. Praise and thanksgiving for Scott's diagnosis and continued health, and also for the Lord working through you to inspire us all.
I was so moved by Elijah's last days. Maybe it is because of the loss of my sister, but I was in tears. I guess the verse that I couldn't stop thinking about was vs. 9, "Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away." I hope that I am able to say this in my last days, so that my loved ones will be blessed.
My sister Maureen just intuitively knew what to do for each of her loved ones in the weeks before her death. She allowed some to minister music, some to share their gifts of prayer, others like me were allowed to care for her physical needs. It was the job of one son, the gourmet cook, to make her popsicle slushies. She allowed the ones who just needed to stay with her in silence to be present in that way. She let the "planners" discuss fundraising efforts for ovarian cancer in her name. She called and left precious messages of love on voice mail for those who couldn't say goodbye. She even arranged for her beloved golden retriever to bond with his new master, her husband, by slow separation. She wrote out birthday cards for her three sons, asked her friend to plant the flower bed, which they had done every spring together for years. Even though Maureen had a gastric tube and was usually nauseated and sick, she lay in bed and watched mom's favorite Food Channel with our dear mother, who felt so helpless in comforting her daughter.
All these activities were not important to a dying woman, but she knew that they were important to the people around her. I could go on and on about how she ministered to us, completely emptying herself, never complaining. Ultimately, not until everything was fulfilled and Mom was on a plane home, did Maureen make the biggest sacrifice. She choose to stop taking fluids, knowing she had only prolonged her death enough to do her last work on earth.
I know this is sad, but I have learned so much from her example of unselfishness. So, I just look at this verse with a very personal meaning. It is a blessing to care about the ones you leave behind.
Praying for all your intentions today,
Jacque
Wendy, thank you for sharing your and Scott's story today.
I am keeping up with the readings and check in everyday. I haven't commented in a few days though.
I am very thankful for your vlog and for everyone else's comments. I was telling my son that I feel like I am reading and understanding the Old Testament for the first time reading it chronologically.
I loved today's reading about Elijah and Elisha. My new today was Elijah striking the Jordan River with his cloak and the water dividing for he and Elisha to walk through. Then Elisha using Elijah's cloak to divide the river again. Also, the miracles that the Lord made happen through Elisha.
Awesome reading today!
Wendy, how I needed to hear your heart this morning! Father God, I run to Your altar with my empty jar. I've cried over my two sons as they have not spoken in almost 20 years because of a situation. I have prayed that they would forgive and reconcile, but to no avail. Lord God, I place them on Your altar this morning and leave them with You. I know You, the Great I Am, can change hearts, heal hurts, and fill their jars with more of You. I covet your prayers my dear GIGs.
Kate, Fred is in my prayers. Just being home will add to his recovery process. Prayers for your Mom as she ministers to his needs.
Michelle, the wedding was beautiful. Have never seen a barn with such a beautiful interior! The scenery was such a beautiful setting for you daughter's wedding pictures and she maakes a lovely bride.
Mary, My prayers are lifted for you. Wendy's testimony re Scott's health is an inspiration for you in your need.
What a great worship time with you all this morning. I love each of you and appreciate your honesty and devotion.
So this morning I have let go and given it to God...It's all in His hands. Thanks to all of you..my cup runneth over!
Teeny
Wendy, thank you for sharing. Funny, how often we want to do things our way, but God knows that His way is best for us and when we surrender, He fills us beyond measure.
Teeny, so good to see you on! Hope you are feeling better. You are such an inspiration.
Jacque, thank you for asking earlier about my mom... we have good days and bad days, but her faith is so strong.
I loved the notes in my study bible today on Elisha- in him "we see vivid displays of God's ability to salvage and transform"
My to do today: take the lids off of my jars so God can fill them up
Be the salt in someone's day today(2Kings 2:21).
Have a wonderful day!
His,
Gaylene
Hi Everybody….Filling up our jars one at a time.
Again….Thanks Wendy!! Enjoy your vacation. Your Spirit's water to my soul...
Faith….
Something I’m working on ….Do I have even a size of a mustard seed?
Bible reading: 2 Kings 4:1, One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the LORD, But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.” …………Question: Could I handle this? I have to say No. Why? ____________Where is my faith?………..Will be pondering about this today.
…..What was to be done?
….Notice how, (Rhonda) when asked for his help, what Elisha directs this woman to do:
-“What can I do to help you?” “Tell me what do you have in the house?”
-And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors.
-Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.”
What was Elisha after here? Why these ridicululous set of instructions. Imagine this women going neighbor to neighbor asking for empty containers…..while the creditor draws closer.
Was Elisha asking for her to take specific actions which would prepare her to receive what God was going to give her.
So often in life, do I limit God, by limiting the way in which he can work in my life. Elisha, by giving this command, was forcing this woman to act in faith and take concrete steps to prepare herself for that which God was going to give her.
Acting in faith sometimes (most of the time?) requires us to “take risks,” and to appear “silly” to those around us. Reminding me of the great Saints of God who have accomplished much for him had to do the same thing in their life, did they not? Were they not ridiculed …… and even persecuted……because they dared to believe that God would bless their efforts and bring relief and success.
I (We) need such faith today in our lives, Rhonda (friends), do we not?…….
I feel like I might have been mumbling along here….
Working on Faith,
Rhonda
Jacque your bible verse 2 Kings 2:9.…I also was working on that one for some time and through some footnotes it lead to this verse: So many of you came to my mind ……
Kate, Jacque, Teeny, Mary, Franny, Allie, Susie, Elizabeth, Betty, Brandee, Jennifer Renee,…All:
Nm 11:17: I will come down and speak with you there. I will also take some of the spirit that is on you and will bestow it on them, that they may share the burden of the people with you. You will then not have to bear it by yourself
…..What Special group!
As I read 2 Kings 2 The word devotion came to my mind. Elisha was very devoted to Elijah and would not stay behind during the times that Elijah traveled.
2 Kings 4:42-44 reminded me of the times Jesus fed the 5,000 (Matthew 14:15-21; Mark 6:34-44; Luke 9:12-17; John 6:5-13) and then fed 4,000 (Matthew 15:32-38; Mark 8:1-9).
Wendy, I always love when you share a song with us.
I do believe God is waiting with a double portion for each one of us. What is He waiting for? For us to put our faith in Him alone – all of our worries and thoughts. May we be still like the verse Mary mentioned, ‘The LORD was in the sound of a gentle whisper.”
Oh, too much of my time is not listening, but busy doing. Lord, I want to know You more today. Intimately. I want my focus to be on You.
Rather than worrying, may I really put my energies into being unselfish (loved your sister’s example Jacque) – seeking, too, to be the “salt in someone’s day today” (thank you Gaylene!)
Faith GIG! Just like sweet Donna in TX said yesterday – oh, the many miracles God performed in the O.T. He is waiting for each one of us to come before Him and lay it all out. I’m anticipating miracles in our group sweet sister! Join me in believing God today! Let’s not waste energy worrying, but let’s spend moments praying and believing in Him to complete His perfect plan in our life.
Thank you dear Father for choosing each one of us to read through your Word together this year. Thank you for picking Wendy, from among your chosen generation, to guide us along, - pointing us back to your Word, day-by-day. May you help each one of us today to carve out some time to spend alone in your Word. May you fill us up with your Holy Spirit. Swell us with your love, so that we can share it with those around us. May we boldly seek to further your Kingdom by the love we have flowing out of us -the love you freely give us. Lord, you are worthy of all of our praises. Today we are believing in You, anticipating miracles to happen. We are looking forward to talking about your good deeds and shouting them on the rooftops. Glory to You, dear Lord. Dear Jesus, in your precious name we pray, Amen.
Hug, prayer’s, and love coming from AZ to you all! Lori
PS Kate – cute little girls!
Amy-I have a full time firemuff over here, one that is now 18…still keeping me on my toes! Actually, he’s a true gift from God, a spirited child that grew up to be a beautiful young man. But, I know how you are kept going!!!! He was the reason my husband thought I should resign from my teaching job…Dave didn’t think anyone else could keep up with him! Ha-ha!
PS Oh to be like the great prophet Elijah - to finish like he did: faithfulness and unshakable loyalty to God. This is the legacy in the end that I want to leave.
Wendy, your vlog was so special today and it spoke directly to me. I have had RA for nearly 13 years but it is under control with the help of some very good medication. Mary, I hope that you will be able to claim this for yourself soon.
"What can I do for you today?" This was asked by Elisha a few times in today's reading and I just loved the beauty of its simplicity. My "TO DO" is to try to use Elisha's words to help others.
Whether it was a bowl, a jar, or a child, they were each used to demonstrate God's power and mercy. Let it be a reminder to give my opened jars to Him and let Him fill them. Don't let me try to regain control which I so often want to do.
Jacque, Thank you for sharing the details of your sister's last weeks.
Thank you all for praying for my SIL Evelyn, we are strengthened by your prayers. To give you an update, her daughter met with Hospice yesterday and will need to make a decision sometime within the next few days. I trust that you will continue to keep us in your prayers as I do you.
Betty in Florida
Jacque,
This is some of what I was dissecting about this bible verse:
Bible Verse: 2 Kings 2:9
When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask for whatever I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha answered, “may I receive a double portion of your spirit.’*
*footnote 2:9: Double portion of your spirit: as the first-born son inherited a double portion of his father’s property (Dt 21:17), so Elisha asks to inherit from Elijah his spirit of prophecy in the degree befitting his principal disciple. In Nm 11:17, 25, God bestows some of the spirit of Moses on others.
Dt. 21:17: On the contrary, he shall recognize as his first-born the son of her whom he dislikes, giving him a double share of whatever he happens to own, since he is the first fruits of his manhood, and to him belong the rights of the firstborn.
Nm 11:17: I will come down and speak with you there. I will also take some of the spirit that is on you and will bestow it on them, that they may share the burden of the people with you. You will then not have to bear it by yourself.
Nm 11:25: The LORD than came down in the cloud and spoke to him. Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses, he bestowed it on the seventy elders; and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied.*
*footnote 11:25: They prophesied: in the sense, not of foretelling the future, but of speaking in enraptured enthusiasm. Such manifestation of mystic exaltation occurred in the early days of Hebrew prophecy (1 Sm 10:10; 19:20) and in the first years of the Church (Acts 2:6-11,17; 19:6; 1Cor 12-14).
You and your sister Maureen must have had a very close relationship…..that is so awesome your heart for her. What she has taught you. (hugs to you sister). How did Maureen’s son graduation go? Family struggles…..Our days are short…. they sure are. Your sister in a better place. Mine is here but ….We had a sister whom has distanced herself from us….and they also distanced themselves from her husbands family. Long story and I have been learning so much here….working on not judging. I am not walking in the shoes she is wearing. I can still talk with her….but I couldn’t do a lot of things she is doing. I have been feeling more distant from her…and decided to put her in His Hands a couple of months ago….so to keep Me from judging I decided to stay out of it. I usually for some reason don’t ask for prayers …(Why I don’t know) but Prayers for her to come back off the crooked path she is going down would be appreciated. Teeny ….20 years that is along time. Prayers definitely for your sons reconciliation. Kate those are precious little ones.
Cookie buzzer is going to be ringing pretty soon…..Thank You All for a peaceful place to rest.
A jar was filled,
Rhonda
Wendy, I like when you share about your faith. You're a great Bible teacher, but sometimes knowing WHO is passing along the message makes it seem friendlier and more personable. (Not that I'm happy your husband has had trouble, just that it makes you seem more like a 'regular person' - I'm happy to hear that he's doing so much better!)
I like the music days, too. since my kids are always asleep when I watch this, I wait 'til they're up and then we turn up the volume and we all watch. We like this one lots - they'll enjoy dancing to it. :-)
Kate, your girls are adorable!
Lori, my firemuff has some really amazing traits and I can see how God could really use her bravery, her spirit, and her determination in great ways someday ... but in the meantime, trying to keep her corralled is difficult. She eats everything in sight, which my kids never really did. She's even eaten a FOOTBALL - and yes, I do watch her! I am definitely curious as to who she will grow up to be!
Teeny, so glad to see you back! I hope you're feeling better. I'll be praying for your sons.
Brandee, yay! I'm so glad that advances are being made for your husband. It's awesome that he's helping out at VBS. :-) My husband is now running twice a day. He's lost almost 20 pounds and is determined to lose 20 more. We visited a church Sunday where the pastor preached on the passage ... I forget where it's from ... about how a wife's faith can help to sanctify her husband. He said that while it won't nec. bring them to salvation, it will cut down on the evil behavior that he engages in, which seems pretty beneficial to me, and then ... who knows? That's definitely happened with my husband!
I'm finding it very hard to concentrate today - our air is not working and the heat index is over 100 here. I think it was fixed this morning, but my husband will have to put it all back together when he gets home. Thanks, everybody, for sharing your thoughts! Maybe it will be cooler here tomorrow ... I read but the only thought that stayed put for long was that the olive oil/jar getting was like the parable told in 'Facing the Giants' - do we sit around and ask God to act or do we go out and prepare for his answer to prayer?
Amy
Wendy, I want to thank you for your obedience to the Lord in facilitating this blog and study. I have been longing to renew my mind and heart in the Word and my sweet friend shared this opportunity with me at my baby shower this past weekend. This is my first day to participate, and I feel as though I'm entering into a beautiful sanctuary that the Lord has personally ushered me to.
God spoke to me through the reading today about passive versus active involvement in our relationship with Him. He has encouraged me that He wants to give me the desires of my heart and bless me simply because I am His daughter. However, He is not content for me to walk passively with Him, but rather to CHOOSE to cling tightly to Him, refusing to leave His side so that I can experience the full measure of His blessings and WITNESS His workings and miracles daily for myself. I know that walking with God in this way will strengthen my conviction and commitment, which though once very strong, has been wavering in the past few years. With my wandering heart and eyes, I will need such help from Holy Spirit to stay focused. Please pray for me.
I am excited about fresh and new encounters each day...
Good afternoon ladies,
I hope you have all had a great day today. As I was out in the field riding around in the bucket of the tractor, picking stones with my husband, I prayed for all of you dear ladies, and your requests.
It was so precious the time out there, I could sing and no one could hear me. An old, old hymn was stuck in my mind today, maybe some of you know it too. It's called Bring your empty Vessels.
Are you longing for the fullness
Of the blessing of the Lord
In your heart and life today?
Claim the promise of your Father;
Come according to His Word,
In the blessèd, old time way.
Refrain
He will fill your heart today to overflowing.
As the Lord commandeth you,
“Bring your vessels, not a few.”
He will fill your heart today to overflowing
With the Holy Ghost and power.
Bring your empty earthen vessels,
Clean through Jesus’ precious blood.
Come, ye needy, one and all;
And in human consecration
Wait before the throne of God
Till the Holy Ghost shall fall.
Refrain
Like the cruse of oil unfailing
Is His grace forevermore,
And His love unchanging still;
And according to His promise,
With the Holy Ghost and power
He will every vessel fill.
Refrain
I found it on cyberhymnal, nothing came up on youtube.
Time to shower, I am dusty and filthy!
Love to all you ladies,
Franny
Thank You for sharing Wendy.
God is so Faithful!
Hi, GIG's,
My internet was restored finally yesterday. Today I need my brain restored. I feel like I'm operating at 10%. Did the wrong reading this morning. Made a pot of coffee with no coffee in the filter. And so the day went.... The movers came today, so daughter and new SIL are leaving for Tennessee early in the morning. I think maybe I'm just numb. I stopped at a lake on my way home, knowing there was much commotion there, to pray for a while for all the needs of my GIGs. And I praised His creation, as we are having a gorgeous day here in New England.
Not having the internet for a day and a half made me realize - once again - how blessed I am by the learning and the fellowship found here. I keep remembering Wendy's teaching of maybe a week ago about how we sometimes have to open our hands and let go, to make room for what He wants to put in our hands. Tomorrow, I have to let go of my daughter. Thank you to so many of you for your lovely comments about the wedding. I really enjoyed sharing with you. So many of you have helped me through this very busy and emotional time of my life. Now on to the next chapter!
(Sorry for this kind of rambling post.)
Peace and Gratitude,
Michelle in New England
Hi Everyone,
Wendy, I had one of those arguments this Sunday at church as well. But after I surrendered and went to the altar, God met me there and filled me with more of his precious oil of the Holy Spirit.
I haven't commented or read your comments lately. I pray all is well with my GIG.
The reading today was so refreshing. To read all the miracles and to know God is still the same, should encourage us all to keep the faith until the day of victory is manifested in our lives!
Waiting in expectation!
Debbie - North Carolina
Hello,
oh,I love reading about these prophets of old and sometimes wonder where the new ones are.
G & P I wrote down your prayer to pray over my son Ryan in silence and to write him a letter of this prayer.
If he would just follow life's guidelines written in the Bible....
He is a believer but so easily distracted into the wrong path..
Sending prayers for Evelyn, now in hospice, for Ann and her daughter, Allyson.
I am reading but not always commenting because I love to read before I go to bed after work( at 1AM so I am at the end of one day or the first the next day)--I rest and sleep in secure love of God.
Susie
Wisconin
Wendy, thank you for sharing about your husband's health. I'm another one with RA. I've had it for 10 years and it's currently under control with medication. (You can read my story here.) In the last year God has been using my disease to bring opportunities to speak in secular settings. I'm praying one day He'll give me opportunities to share my full story - the part with Him in it.
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