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. 2 Kings 4:6
Although the widow collected as many jars as possible, following Elisha’s directive, eventually they were all full. The implication is, if she could’ve found more jars, there would’ve been more oil. It provides a picture of the Christian. The more emptiness we have the more God can fill us but if our lives are cluttered, overly busy and distracted then there is less room for God.
In the parable of the seed, we read: “but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful” (Mark 4:19). It lists three things which prevent God from working in our lives: the worries of this life; the deceitfulness of wealth; and the desires for other things. If we’re overly consumed with the concerns of everyday life or if we think money is the answer to our problems or if we’re focused on what we don’t have then we prevent God from making our lives a blessing.
God looks for the heart where there’s a willingness to put aside our busyness, a desire beyond material blessings and an emptiness that we know we cannot fill ourselves. In this heart, God can nurture his seed so it grows fruitfully to maturity.
Often we don’t want to experience this kind of emptiness, where we feel inadequate and vulnerable. Yet it’s humility that’s attractive to God because it’s an honest assessment of our spiritual state.
God’s filling is dependant on our emptiness.
