Empty Jars and Full Faith

Pastor Rick Brooks
May 12
4 min read

Let’s be honest—Mother’s Day is full of emotion. For some, it’s a day of joy and gratitude. For others, it stirs up pain, loss, or even regret. But no matter what kind of day it is for you, the story in 2 Kings 4 reminds us that God sees every struggle, and He meets us right where we are.

In this chapter, we meet a widow whose world had fallen apart. Her husband—a man who served the Lord—had died. Now, she’s drowning in debt, she has no income, and the creditors are threatening to take her two sons as payment. Talk about overwhelming.

But what she does next is key. She doesn’t run from God—she leans toward Him.

1. Her Crisis Was Real

This wasn’t a minor issue. Her husband was gone. Her sons were about to be taken. She had nothing left except a little jar of oil. And yet—she turned to the man of God and asked for help.

“Thy servant my husband is dead… and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.”—2 Kings 4:1

She could’ve blamed God. She could’ve shut down. But instead, she reached out in faith. And that’s where everything began to shift.

Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is cry out for help. When you don’t know what else to do—lean into the Lord. He’ll meet you there.

2. Her Faith Was Stirred by a Word

Elisha asked her a question:“What do you have in the house?”

Her answer? “Nothing… except a pot of oil.”

Isn’t that just like us? We say we have “nothing,” but we do have something—we’re just underestimating what God can do with it.

“And she said, Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil.”—2 Kings 4:2

It’s not about how much you have—it’s about who you’re giving it to.

This woman looked around her empty house and only saw a little oil. But God saw the beginning of a miracle. Just like He did with Moses’ rod, David’s sling, and the boy’s five loaves and two fish—God specializes in using what we already have.

“Little is much when God is in it.”

And maybe you’re reading this today thinking, “I don’t have much.”That’s okay. God’s not asking for much. He’s just asking for what you’ve got.

3. Her Obedience Led to Overflow

Elisha told her to borrow as many empty jars as she could find—“not a few”—then go inside and start pouring oil. That had to sound crazy. One little pot of oil filling up dozens of jars?

But she obeyed.

“So she went from him, and shut the door… and poured out.”—2 Kings 4:5

And sure enough, God did something incredible. That tiny jar just kept pouring. Every vessel filled. When she ran out of jars, the oil stopped—but not before every need was met.

“And it came to pass, when the vessels were full… the oil stayed.”—2 Kings 4:6

Here’s the lesson: God’s supply didn’t run out—her capacity did. The miracle matched her faith. If she had brought more jars, she would’ve gotten more oil. What a thought.

Sometimes, we limit God by only bringing Him a few jars—just a little space to work. But when we obey Him fully, He blesses abundantly.

4. Her Household Was Changed by Grace

After all that oil was poured, Elisha told her:

“Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.”—2 Kings 4:7

Debt paid. Kids safe. A future provided. All because she trusted God with her not-much.

She didn’t have a plan, but she had faith. And faith was enough.

Real People. Real Faith.

You know, that story might be ancient, but the lessons are as fresh as this morning’s coffee. I think of people like Miss Ellie, a widow in a trailer park who scribbled Bible verses on index cards with her arthritic hands and handed them out wherever she could. She never knew who read them—but one of those cards kept a young woman from taking her own life. Later, that same woman came to Christ and started bringing others to Miss Ellie for prayer and encouragement.

Miss Ellie never stood behind a pulpit, but she preached sermons with her pen.

Then there’s Natalie, a recovering addict who trembled as she told her testimony for the first time at a women’s group. She didn’t think she had anything to offer. But someone once told her, “Just pour out what God’s poured in.”

That night, a woman in the crowd who had come to say her last goodbyes before ending her life—found hope in Natalie’s words. She chose life. And later, she chose Jesus.

That’s what happens when empty jars meet full faith.

What About You?

You might be a mom who feels like you’re running on fumes.You might feel like your kids are far from the Lord.You might have loss in your life that nobody else sees.

But hear this: God isn’t finished with your story.

Your jar may feel empty—but His grace never is.