The Widow and the Oil

Opening Question: Do you believe in miracles?

Read 2 Kings 4:1-7
1 The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha. She said, "My husband is dead. You know how much respect he had for the Lord. But he owed money to someone. And now that person is coming to take my two boys away. They will become his slaves." 2 Elisha replied to her, "How can I help you? Tell me. What do you have in your house?" "I don't have anything there at all," she said. "All I have is a little olive oil." 3 Elisha said, "Go around to all of your neighbors. Ask them for empty jars. Get as many as you can. 4 Then go inside your house. Shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all of the jars. As each jar is filled, put it over to one side." 5 The woman left him. After that, she shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her. And she kept pouring. 6 When all of the jars were full, she spoke to one of her sons. She said, "Bring me another jar." But he replied, "There aren't any more left." Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She went and told the man of God about it. He said, "Go and sell the oil. Pay what you owe. You and your sons can live on what is left."

Discussion:
1. Try to tell this story again in your own words.
2. Describe what the following characters did:

The widow -
Elisha -
The widow’s sons -
God -

3. What do you think the widow felt before and after the miracle? Why?
4. What do you have that God can multiply and use for your own good, and for the good of others?
5. What can we learn from this story?
6. What do the following promises from the Bible say to you?

God is able to do far more than we could ever ask for or imagine. He does everything by his power that is working in us. Ephesians 3:20

My God will meet all your needs. He will meet them in keeping with his wonderful riches that come to you because you belong to Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

God did not spare his own Son. He gave him up for us all. Then won't he also freely give us everything else? Romans 8:32