IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

God Blesses Two Women

Date: Mar. 20, 2025

Passage

2 Kings 4:1-17 (ESV)

Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.” So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing. She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest.”

One day Elisha went on to Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would turn in there to eat food. And she said to her husband, “Behold now, I know that this is a holy man of God who is continually passing our way. 10 Let us make a small room on the roof with walls and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that whenever he comes to us, he can go in there.”

11 One day he came there, and he turned into the chamber and rested there. 12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite.” When he had called her, she stood before him. 13 And he said to him, “Say now to her, ‘See, you have taken all this trouble for us; what is to be done for you? Would you have a word spoken on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?’” She answered, “I dwell among my own people.” 14 And he said, “What then is to be done for her?” Gehazi answered, “Well, she has no son, and her husband is old.” 15 He said, “Call her.” And when he had called her, she stood in the doorway. 16 And he said, “At this season, about this time next year, you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your servant.” 17 But the woman conceived, and she bore a son about that time the following spring, as Elisha had said to her.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 4:3

Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few.

Elisha was met by a woman who was suffering greatly. Her husband, who believed the Lord, had died. Because she had no money, she ended up in debt with no hope of escaping. Creditors threatened to take her two sons and sell them as slaves to pay off the debt. All she had was a small jar of olive oil. Elisha encouraged her to ask for a great blessing. She should request as many jars as she had faith to ask for. Then Elisha miraculously turned her home into an olive oil factory. The small jar of oil was multiplied into enough for her to pay off all her debts. God blessed her according to her faith. We learn to ask for more than just a few.

After this, Elisha met a Shunammite woman. She recognized him as a spiritual leader and shepherd, and she offered him a place to stay in their house whenever he came. Elisha wanted to do something for this generous woman. “What can be done for her?” Learning that she was childless, he promised her that, within a year, she would have a son. She had no such expectation, but God provided her with a son. He blesses with abundance beyond our expectations.

Prayer: Lord, you are a God of blessing. Help me to ask for your blessing with faith. Grant me great expectations based on your mercy.

One Word: Seek God’s abundant blessing with faith

Daily Bread

Because of His Covenant with Abraham

2 Kings 13:14-25

Key Verse: 13:23

But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion on them, and he turned toward them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, nor has he cast them from his presence until now.

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