In 2 Kings 4:1-7 is a dramatic incident which has challenged the thinking of every Bible lover from the days of Elisha. In its appeal to life, it is unsurpassed in beauty. In its expression of God’s care for the minute things of one’s life, it is unexcelled in grandeur.
The story opens with “…a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets…” (verse 1) who was in distressing, heart breaking trouble. Her husband, a prophet of God, had died, leaving her with two boys to care for; and with a debt to a cruel man who demanded pay at the expense of her son’s liberty.
It would seem that God had let the widow down; that following the cause of righteousness had brought disaster. No day could have been darker. By comparison, your days and mine are flooded with noonday sun.
The instruction given to this woman is worthy of meditation, “…thou shalt shut the door upon thee…”
Shut the door to opinion. Had she gone down the street asking for the opinions of the wise ones, those opinions would have been varied and contradictory; but they would have been unanimous, that to follow the prophet’s advice was a foolish thing to do – it would be only a waste of precious time. The good woman would have been advised, “Use what time you have left in trying to refinance your loans.” But she shut the door to opinion.
You, too, will need to shut the door to the opinions of others if you experience escape from the clutching hold of sin and the starving force carnality.
Shut the door to fear. How filled our lives are with fear! From morning until night, from the cradle to the grave, fear stalks our pathway. We are afraid the sun will spoil our complexion; we are afraid we will not pass in the high school; we are afraid to attempt college; we are a afraid of…the list is almost endless.
Shut the door to fear. You may have to die, but only once. You may have to suffer, but only to a point; then comes unconsciousness. You may fail, but there is always another starting line. Close the door to fear, and do it now. Look your problem squarely in the face; take one step toward it; you will discover that the closer you get to it the smaller it becomes.
Shut the door to unbelief. Unbelief said, “The borrowing of the extra vessels was only lost motion.” Unbelief said, “The whole experience of the race is against expecting a small bottle of oil to fill all those vessels.” The good woman closed the door to unbelief, and filled every cup that faith had brought in.
Close your door to unbelief. Believe in people. Not everyone is a scoundrel. Endeavour to see in every man the image of God. Believe in yourself. Act as if were impossible to fail. Never allow yourself the luxury of prophesying gloom. Believe in God and God’s son, the Lord Jesus Christ – God transcendent, personal, righteous, compassionate; God, big enough for this day of big things; God, powerful enough for your problems. Enough to get you through life, with honor.
Shut the door to everything that is little and mean and vile and selfish. There you will find the flowing oil, the manifestations of God, and the glow of a glorious experience of being closer to our Creator.