Scanning the note, her eyes widened as the written numbers brought reality to her situation. No! She could not lose her sons too! Tossing the note aside, the young widow burst out the door to search for Elisha.

Her husband was a member of Elisha’s group of prophets before his death. He loved the Lord and served Him faithfully. Over the years, her family’s debt had mounted to a greater degree than she imagined. Now she would be required to give her sons as slaves if payment could not be made.

Upon hearing her story, Elisha asked, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” (2 Kings 4:2a NIV) Humbly she answered, “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” (2 Kings 4:2b NIV)

All she had, but it was all she needed. Elisha instructed the widow to ask each of her neighbors for empty jars, encouraging her to gather as many as she could. Once gathered, she was to shut herself in her house and fill the jars with oil from her one small jar.

Leaving Elisha, the widow and her sons gathered all the jars they possibly could. Shutting the door behind herself and her sons, the widow took hold of her small jar of olive oil and began to pour. Filling each jar to the brim, her sons would set an empty jar before her as her small jar poured out a seemingly endless supply of olive oil.

“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 NIV)

With joy in her heart, the young widow once again burst out her door to find the man of God. Finding Elisha, she shared how God provided many jars of olive oil using her one small jar. A smile crept onto Elisha’s face as he listened to her story. By the end, his smile broadened to a grin. God had provided! He instructed the widow to sell the oil to pay off her debt, then live off the rest. Taking all she had, God gave her all she would need.

Because of His great kindness, God met a lifetime of needs for the widow and her sons. Not knowing the end of her story at the beginning of her crisis, she did know her greatest need was God. She knew Elisha would offer direction from God. Following his instruction, the widow moved forward in faith, receiving the help God eagerly supplied. Though the little she had was insufficient to meet the need in her crisis, she trusted in God, who is all-sufficient. He turned her small amount into abundance, meeting not only her immediate need but her future needs.

Are you facing a crisis with no answers? Maybe you have come to a fork in the road, and the way forward seems uncertain. Though your needs seem great, your greatest need is God. He longs for you to take your burdens to Him. Give Him the little you have, even if it is one small step of faith. God will meet you where you are at, taking you to a place of abundance. When you give God all you have, He offers you all you have ever needed – Himself. So, give yourself to God, and though life will take you through times of crisis and uncertainty, you will find a lifetime of abundance walking with Him.

Casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you. (1 Peter 5:7 HCSB)