But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? - James 2:20 KJV
Many say that they have faith. It is easy to say that we have faith, but our actions really tell the truth. Let’s journey through the book of 2 Kings 4 and discover indeed that faith without works is dead.
The chapter begins with a widow whose husband was a prophet; he died and left her with two sons. Her husband feared Adonai, and he was the provider for the family. His death caused a lack and she owed the creditors whom she could not pay. This led to the creditors threat to take her sons as slaves to repay the debt.
In her desperation, she cried out to Elisha the prophet, who is a representative of God in the earth. She sought after a solution to her problem. He did not pray for her and send her away. Interestingly, Elisha did not even give her a direct answer to her problem, but instead he asked her a question. “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house? - vs. 2. This miracle that was about to happen required the participation of the widow. It required her faith in action. Elisha was not going to do it by himself.
The widow’s response was, ‘nothing at all, ‘except’ a flask of oil’. Well, God does not need much to move. Actually, what God requires of us is to have faith in Him. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him – Hebrews 11:6 KJV. The only thing the widow had physically was a flask of oil. Well, that was something. That was enough for God to work. The song writer says, ‘little is much when God is in it’.
Elisha gave the widow some instructions and she obeyed them. Now, that is where her faith was in action. What he asked of her did not make sense to the natural mind. She had a flask of oil, yet Elisha the prophet told her to borrow jars from her neighbors, then pour the olive oil from her flask into the jars. Wow! We know that in the end the widow was able to pay her debt and had a surplus to sustain her and her sons.
What are your circumstances? What situation are you faced with? You see, faith and actions work together. Your actions make your faith complete. Put your faith in action and watch God do the miraculous. Remember, faith without works is dead!
Comentários