Do you have needs? Most of us do. Let's see how God had Elisha meet the needs of a woman that needed help.
2KI 4:1 The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves." 2 Elisha replied to her, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?" "Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except a little oil."
First Elisha took a look at what the woman had for resources.
Then he gave her a plan as to what she should do.
You always have to have a plan. This plan may consist of praying and waiting on an answer from God, but you have to have a plan. So Elisha told the woman what she should do.
2KI 4:3 Elisha said, "Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side."
This probably didn't make a whole lot of sense to here, but she did it anyway.
2KI 4:5 She left him and afterward shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another one." But he replied, "There is not a jar left." Then the oil stopped flowing.
2KI 4:7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left."
God took care of here needs utilizing some of her own resources.
You can't just sit on the couch and do nothing and expect things to happen. God likes to see an effort, so you do what you can.
Does it seem like God is not helping? Seem like God doesn't give you (or me) what we need?
Let's evaluate. Is it a need or a want? What do you need?
A lot of times what we think we need is really only a want. It doesn't say God will meet our wants.
Lets see what the Bible says.
MT 6:8 ……...for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Paul talking to the Philippines:
PHP 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
In the book of Psalms:
PS 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Okay, you are sure it is a need and not a want. So what is the holdup? Why is God not helping?
There could be another reason:
You need to be one of his followers. What does it mean to delight yourself? When you really enjoy something, you would want to be close to it. This also applies to God.
Don't just call him when you need something and wonder why you don't seem to get any help.
Are you his follower? Here is what the Bible says:
JN 15:7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
We stay close to God and remember his teachings, we won't ask for anything we shouldn't have and he will be able to give us what we ask for.
But it is no different then a kid asking his Mom and Dad for something. They won't give him anything that will hurt him or is not good for him. God is no different.
Why is he like this?
PS 91:14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
So what is our Conclusion:
God has promised to meet our needs, not our wants.
For it to apply you have to be a follower of Jesus to be able to receive Gods complete blessing.
God will not give us anything that will harm us.
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