Filling the Empty Vessels

November 9, 2010

“Filling the Empty Vessels”

Luke 6:38 (New King James Version)

³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

I just cannot get out of my head this past Sunday’s sermon my pastor gave. He preached from 2 Kings 4:1-7. This section talks about a woman who was married to a prophet who died and their debts were so great that the creditors decided to take her sons if she did not pay off the debts they incurred, and then enters Elisha. His question to her in such a time of despair seemed so obscure, but he asked “What do you have in your house?” Her response was just a little jar of oil.

As my pastor continued on he stated that she minimized that which she had because of the despair of her situation. She was instructed to go to her neighbors and ask for their “empty” jars. She was instructed to ask her neighbors for their emptiness which would testify of God’s work in an impossible situation. The jars must have varied in size symbolizing the size of emptiness and despair of her neighbors.

While sitting there thinking of this concept that my pastor was talking about the question came up to me “What do you have?” Sometimes we have this tendency of demeaning God’s ability to do the miraculous only because we demean that of what we have thinking of it as “Thanksgiving Leftovers.”

In 1871 a man by the name of Horatio Spafford had an incredible run of what some might say “Bad Luck.” Spafford a wealthy man who was strong in his faith and was highly regarded in society found all his belongings wiped out over night in the Great Chicago fire. Understand, today this would be bad, but not nearly as bad as what it was at the time where property insurance did not exist and if tragedy befell you, you would be out of luck.

Spafford could have sat on the curb and mourned his loss, but he didn’t. Instead he looked for ways to help those around him who were affected in the same regard helping them put their lives back together.

Several weeks later the next tragedy befell him. As he had sent his wife and children ahead of him to relocate to Jerusalem the boat his family was on hit another boat and sank. He received word that his wife survived, but his children had died.

This was not the end of Spafford’s story, but the beginning. The thing that was important was how he dealt with his tragedies. This man when asked how he was dealing with everything as he was making his way to meet his wife responded “It is well with my soul.” Here is a man who was riddled with such horrible things that could happen found himself writing a song explaining his hope in Christ because he found that it is well in his soul.

What looked hopeless, he poured out into empty vessels. He went on to start a foundation which helped the poor and later became the subject of a Nobel Peace Prize. When we take that little that we still have, the remnant, and mix it with faith that God can change the circumstances for our benefit as well as that of others, that is when we will see those things that count in the Kingdom of God and change the lives of those around us.

Several years ago I listened to a speech giving by Corrie Ten Boom. She was talking about, understand this was many years ago and have had a hard time finding exact words, how there were times when they had nothing. They had no food, but the faith of her parents. Her mother would set the table in anticipation that God would provide something for them to eat. They would sit down at a set table without food and pray for God to provide. As their prayer came to a close they heard a knock on the door. Upon opening the door they found a basket of vegetables and a chicken. They were so elated and encouraged to see God provide when it seemed all hope was lost. They saw that they had a table and a place to eat as well as faith that God would provide which made all the difference.

So looking at my life seeing that all I have is the “Thanksgiving Leftovers,” not thinking much about it, I hear the words of Elisha say “What do you have to change your circumstance?” I look around and at first tell God all the things I DON’T have (no job, loss of my family, no money, no home, etc.). Again I hear God ask me “What do you have and what do you need?”

As I sit hear writing this journal I am about ready to fall apart answering the question. “God, all I have is hope in You, that You will change the circumstances. It is in You that You can mend my marriage, my family, give me a good paying job, a home and take care of my every need.”

It is at that very point that God says find all the empty vessels around you and fill them. Don’t just drip a little oil (hope) in those empty vessels, fill them to the brim. I can relate to this woman. That which I have to offer seems insignificant but maybe you are the one who is the empty vessel seeing your marriage disintegrating or find yourself plagued with illness, jobless or any other thing and seeing yourself on the ledge waiting to jump. Then it hits you, “What do you have to change the circumstance?” Can you change your perspective or are you willing to hold on to the little bit of leftovers you still have not able to see God’s miraculous hand just waiting to do something new in you?

I have realized everything both great and small is not mine, but God’s. If He wishes to reduce that which I have down to what seems like nothing or just a remnant to get my attention and build my faith, I have no choice but to trust Him.

“What do you have to change your circumstance? Are you willing to give it away to fill those empty vessels around you?”

Chris Andexler