“Now one of the wives of a man of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha [for help], saying “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant [reverently] feared the Lord; but the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves [in payment for a loan].” Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have [of value] in the house?” She said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a [small] jar of [olive] oil.” Then he said, “Go, borrow containers from all your neighbors, empty containers—and not just a few. Then you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out [the oil you have] into all these containers, and you shall set aside each one when it is full.” So she left him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they were bringing her the containers as she poured [the oil]. When the containers were all full, she said to her son, “Bring me another container.” And he said to her, “There is not a one left.” Then the oil stopped [multiplying]. Then she came and told the man of God. He said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest.” 2 Kings 4:1-7 AMP

You will find 4 statements in the story that are not just insightful but also practical life-changing steps.

I. “Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a [small] jar of [olive] oil.”

Similar to the widow of the story, we tend to focus on the issues and problems rather than be grateful for what we have. She basically believed that a small jar of olive oil is equal to nothing. It is so small, hence becomes insignificant. Elisabeth Elliot once said, "If you believe in a God who controls the big things, you have to believe in a God who controls the little things. It is we, of course, to whom things look 'little' or 'big'." Nothing is too big or too small for God. He is above all things. It is our own perspective that has made the difference. Just like Martin Luther King Jr. said, "If you can’t fly, then run, If you can’t run, then walk, If you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward." You can always start with what you have and what you do, then trust God and leave it to Him.

II. “Go, borrow containers from all your neighbors, empty containers—and not just a few.”

Elisha’s statement here has shown us the importance of a friendship, to have fellow believers around you, as no one will survive alone. You need your friends’ help and support as much as they need yours. When the widow and her two sons were asked to gather oil jars, it would be impossible to even get one if they haven’t been a part of a community. 

III. “She did what he said.”

In the midst of the crisis, the widow has decided to keep her faith. As once said, "God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supplies." - Hudson Taylor. Obedience is often an act of faith. Even though it seems hard and even impossible, everytime we decide to obey God and His words, that is when faith is at work.  Only when the widow obeyed Elisha, the miracle happens. 

IV. “You and your sons can live on the rest.”

The story begun with a fact that the creditor is coming to take the widow’s two sons to be slaves in payment for her loan. Yet over the course of faithful acts, the widow has eventually experienced God’s abundant provision that comes from something that is small and insignificant. Starting small doesn’t mean you will remain small. Small things are actually often used by God to demonstrate His greatness. 

Just like Billy Graham once said, "The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, 'O God, forgive me,' or 'Help me.'"

Today, will you come to God, trust Him enough and fully rely on Him? That will be the start of your transformation journey with Him.