I’ve got another bag lesson that I have seen here in our short time in California.
There are two limiting factors when it comes to getting groceries here in Hermosa Beach (besides just food costs alone). While we plan for that one and just fully embrace our grocery bill being astronomical with four growing boys, the two I’m referring to I haven’t quite wrapped my head around yet.
Each trip to the store I’m met with a dilemma. First, every grocery store charges for bags. We try to be good stewards and savvy shoppers so, we typically choose to bring our own bags. If we forget, however, we either have to pay for their bags or we can’t get more than we can carry. The other side of this struggle is if I remembered to bring bags, did I get ENOUGH to carry what I’m getting or have I tried to grab more groceries than will fit in what I brought. A final additional struggle is then I get to do a nice 525m+ farmer carry with whatever is purchased but that’s why I do CrossFit, right! LOL.
I want to share a story that fits this bag dilemma from scripture. A widow found herself facing a pretty difficult and even grave situation. (2 Kings 4:1-7 for full story.) This woman is left alone with her two sons after her husband’s passing to pay his debts with apparently no source of income.
She is on the verge of losing her sons as slaves to this debt collector when she reaches out to the prophet Elisha.
Elisha asked how he could help and what did she have in the house. She reports nothing except one small jar of olive oil.
He gives instructions to her and the boys to collect as many empty jars as possible from her neighbors. Once collected, they were to fill them with olive oil from the LITTLE jar that she had left. Then they were to pay the debt and could use the leftover for living expenses.
The widow and her son went and got jars and began filling them up. The oil didn’t run out till the jars were gone. They paid the debt and lived off excess!!!
What a miracle!!! But here’s the part I want you to see: the miracle and provision of God went as far as their faithfulness, not simply their faith! They were to collect jars and “not just asking for a few” (2 Kings 4:3). They believed that God would provide and they acted according to their belief.
The question for the day is how much are you planning for God to do?
God is capable to blow our minds and exceed our expectations. Maybe today you need to ask for bigger but then act like it. Maybe you need to trust God more by practicing greater follow through.
Plan for more than you can see possible.
Live like it is really true that “God is ABLE to do more than we could ever ask or imagine” (Eph 3:20).
Get more BAGS!
#BringYourOwnBag
#PrepareForMore
#BaggageCheck
#RestoringWholenessOfLife
Brett
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