Trusting God with what you have left

Sermon Title:

“Trusting God with What You Have Left”            

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:1–7 (KJV)

Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen...

Introduction:

Sometimes life puts you in a corner—when the bills are due, the grief is real, the debt is heavy, and the future is uncertain. This is where trust becomes more than a word. It becomes a lifeline.

In our passage today, a “certain woman” teaches us what it means to trust God when there’s nothing left but faith and a pot of oil.

7 Power-Packed Points with Deeper Insight, Illustrations, and Application

1. Cry Out to the Right Source

“Now there cried a certain woman…” (v.1)

• She didn’t cry to her neighbors, the king, or Facebook. She cried to the prophet—the man of God.
• Trust begins where human resources end and divine intervention begins.
• She took her problem to someone who could get a prayer through.

Illustration:
There’s a story of a woman whose husband died unexpectedly. She didn’t have insurance, was about to lose her home, and sat crying at her kitchen table. But she remembered her grandmother’s words: “When you’re in trouble, take it to Jesus.”She got on her knees and prayed. That same day, a stranger knocked, offering a job that paid double what she needed.

🛑 Application: When you're in crisis, stop dialing people who can’t fix it. God’s hotline is open 24/7.

2. Acknowledge the Reality, but Don’t Deny the Possibility

“My husband is dead... and the creditor is coming...”

• She didn’t sugarcoat the facts: grief, debt, and fear were real.
• But she still came with hope—because faith doesn’t ignore reality, it invites God into it.

Deeper Insight:
You can be spiritual and still be overwhelmed. You can fear God and still face creditors. But you must never lose your hope in God’s power.

3. God Often Begins with a Question

“What shall I do for thee? What do you have in the house?” (v.2)

• God will always ask you, “What do YOU have?” before He releases what HE has.
• She underestimated her pot of oil—but God didn't.

🛑 Application:
Your “little” is enough in the right hands. You may think it’s not much, but God specializes in small things—a staff in Moses' hand, a sling in David’s, a pot of oil in a widow’s.

Illustration:
A little boy had one lunch, but it became the miracle meal for thousands (John 6). All because he gave what he had.

4. Trust Obeys Even When It Doesn’t Understand

“Go, borrow vessels… shut the door… pour out…” (vv.3–4)

• The instructions sounded odd: “Borrow empty vessels and start pouring.”
• But faith is obedience in motion, even when it doesn’t make sense.
• She didn’t argue or hesitate—she trusted and obeyed.

Deeper Insight:
Your miracle is often locked behind an instruction. Don’t delay your oil by debating God’s method.

🛑 Application:
Sometimes trusting God means doing things that don’t make logical sense—but make spiritual sense.

5. Trust Requires You to Make Room

“Borrow not a few…” (v.3)

• Elish