??Introduction：Listen! Do you hear someone crying？" The prophet Elisha did! Perhaps the poor woman met him as Elisha was traveling. The woman was the wife of one of the sons of the prophets whom Elisha would have known.
??Body：She began to tell him her sad story. "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know my husband feared the Lord; and now the creditor has come and says that since I can't pay our debts, he's going to take my two sons to be his servants."
??The widow was saying, "We've always tried to put God first in our life, but now look what has happened!" Not only is her husband dead, but the widow was about to lose her two sons as well. Yes, things looked bad, but do you remember God's promise in our Bible verse for today？??Main Teaching：Matthew 6：33 says, "But seek...first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." If you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, put God first in your life! He then promises to supply all your need. Seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness means our heart and mind and life are busy serving the Lord and pleasing Him in all our ways. We are always thinking of what God wants us to be doing, not what we want. God then promises if we take care of His business, He will take care of us!
??Link：But right now, it didn't look as if God were taking care of the widow and her two sons, did it？??Elisha said to the widow, "What do you want me to do for you？Tell me, what do you have in your house？" She answered sadly, "I have nothing in my house, nothing except a pot of oil." Perhaps Elisha's face lit up as she said, "A pot of oil."
??He told her, "Go, borrow from your neighbors every pot, jar, bottle, any kinds of empty vessel you can borrow. And when you bring them into your house, shut the door and have just you and your two sons inside. Then pour your pot of oil into those vessels, and set aside those that are full."
??Gospel：How did Elisha know what to do？Our all wise and wonderful God had shown Elisha exactly what to do. God already knew the widow's problem, and He already had a marvelous plan to care for her needs! He loved that precious mother and her two sons, and God loves YOU! As your wise and wonderful Creator, God also has a marvelous plan for your life. The first big step in finding God's plan for your life is to come to Him with your sin problem. We are all born with a sin nature that makes us think and say and do things that are displeasing to God. Because of that sin nature, every day without even realizing it, you do something that displeases God. It is sin that keeps us separated from God and until we deal with the problem of our sin, we can never find His plan for our life. In His great love for you, God provided the answer for your sin problem when He sent His perfect Son Jesus into the world. " ...Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; " I Timothy 1：15 tells us. You have heard how the Lord Jesus died on the cross, giving His blood and His life to pay for your sins. He came alive again the 3rd day and now the Lord Jesus is back in Heaven. Believing on the Lord Jesus and letting Him save you from sin is the first big step in God's marvelous plan for you!
??Using that one pot of oil was part of God's marvelous plan for this poor widow and her two sons. The widow and her sons went to work right away! Let's pretend we are some of the neighbors! Do you hear a knock at the door？"Hello, my mom wants to know if we can borrow as many empty jars, bottles, pots, or vessels as you have？We'll be sure to return them when we are finished!"
??All over the neighborhood the boys ran, bringing back to their home all sizes of containers! Do you think the neighbors might have been wondering what was happening？When the boys finished, the widow remembered what Elisha had said, and she shut the door with only her and her two sons inside. She held the pot of oil and the boys kept busy bringing empty vessels. For you see, God was doing a miracle inside that house! As that pot of oil was being poured out, vessel after vessel was filled and set aside! The mother said, "Hurry, bring me another vessel." But her son said, "There's not another empty vessel!" Then God's Word says, "And the oil stopped." God had wonderfully supplied her need!
??What do you think the widow did next？II Kings 4：7 says, "Then she came and told the man of God." Link：She could have decided herself what she should do next.
??Main Teaching：But the widow wanted to know what God wanted her to do. She was in the habit of putting God first in her life. If you know the Lord Jesus, put God first in your life! He promises then to supply all your need! Maybe your need is a place to live, or money to buy food and clothes. Perhaps you need help with your school work, or help with getting along with your family. Can you say your Bible verse to yourself right now？If you are seeking first the kingdom of God, that means you are continually thinking "What does God want me to be doing？" Here are some questions you can ask yourself：1)Where does God want me to be on Sunday？2)What does God want me to do with the time, talents, and treasures He has given me？3) How can I use them to help others know about Jesus' 4)What does God want me to do with my life？??Link：God says He will supply all your need if you make it a habit to put God first in your life, as the widow did! Rather than deciding on her own what to do with that oil, the widow went straight to Elisha. Elisha said, "Go now and sell the oil. Pay off your debts and you will still have enough left to take care of you and your sons."
??The widow's sadness now was turned to joy! As she left Elisha that day, she was probably praising the Lord for supplying all her need! She and her sons could see that God had kept His promise!
??God still keeps His promises today! God does not change and His Word does not change. If you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, will you this week put God first in your life？He promises then to supply all your need! The times and the ways God supplies your need may not be what you expect, but God is much wiser in His plans and purpose than we are. Determine that you will use your talents, time and treasures to serve the Lord. Pray and ask Him to guide you in serving Him. Then be sure to thank the Lord as you see Him meeting your needs.
??If you have never believed on the Lord Jesus as your Savior, you have a very important choice to make. God's marvelous plan for you begins the moment you admit you are a sinner and believe on the Lord Jesus, asking Him to come in and save you from sin. But it is you who must choose to come to the Lord Jesus. Will you go right now to "How to Be a Child of God" and learn how today you can begin God's marvelous plan for your life？
??听！你听见有人在哭吗？先知以利沙听见了！也许那个可怜的妇人在以利沙行走的路上碰到他。这个妇人是一个先知门徒的妻子。
??她开始告诉以利沙她的遭遇："你的仆人, 就是我的丈夫死了。你知道他敬畏神。现在有债主来, 要取我两个儿子作奴仆。"
??这个寡妇的意思是, 我们一直把神放在我们生命的第一位, 可是我们怎么会有这样的遭遇呢？不光是她的丈夫死了, 连她的儿子也要失去了。是的, 事情看起来很糟糕, 但是你记得神在他话语里对我们的应许吗？马太福音6：33说："你们要先求他的国, 和他的义, 这些东西都要加给你们了。" 如果你相信主耶稣, 你就要把神放在你生命的首位, 然后他就应许供应你一切的需要。"先求他的国和他的义''的意思就是我们的心思和生命都在不断地服侍神, 并在我们所做的一切事上讨他的喜悦。我们必须看神想让我们做什么, 不是我们想要做什么。神然后就应许说, 如果我们先服侍他, 他就一定会看顾我们。
??可是现在神似乎没有看顾那个寡妇和她两个儿子。是不是这样呢？以利沙对那个寡妇说："我可以为你作什么呢, 你告诉我, 你家里有什么？" 她伤心地回答说：" '在我家中, 除了一瓶油之外, 什么都没有。当以利沙听到一瓶油的时候, 或许他的心里就亮起来了！
??以利沙对她说："你去, 向你众邻舍借空器皿, 不要少借, 回到家里, 关上门, 你和你儿子在里面, 将油倒在所有的器皿里, 倒满了的放在一边。
??以利沙怎么知道要这样去做呢？我们奇妙的神已经告诉以利沙怎样去做了。神早已知道这个寡妇的难处。他也早为她有预备了。神爱这位妇人和她的两个儿子。神也爱你！他是你奇妙而又智慧的创造者。他对你的生命也有一个奇妙的计划。寻到这个计划的第一步就是带着你的罪来到神的面前。我们生下来就有一个罪性, 这个罪性使我们所说, 所想所做的不讨神的喜悦。因为这个罪性, 每一天, 在你自己也没有意识到的时候, 你就常常得罪神。罪使我们与神隔绝, 直到神把我们的罪对付了, 否则我们不可能寻到神为我们所预备的计划。因着他爱我们的大爱, 神差遣他完美无瑕的儿子耶稣基督来到这个世上, 来对付我们的罪。耶稣基督来到这个世上, 是为了拯救罪人。提摩前书1：15说："基督耶稣降世, 为要拯救罪人。" 你已经听到主耶稣怎样死在十字架上, 用他的血和生命为我们还了罪债。第三天, 他又复活。他现在又回到天上。相信主耶稣并让他把你从罪里拯救出来, 是我们认识神在我们身上旨意的第一步。
??神要用一瓶油来帮助那个寡妇和她两个儿子。他们听了以利沙的话, 马上就去做了。让我们假装是他们的邻居。有人在敲门呢。快去开门！"您好！我妈妈想管您借空瓶子, 罐子, 锅, 任何能承东西的都行。我们用完一定会还回来的''。
??寡妇的两个儿子跑遍了邻舍, 借回来各种大大小小的容器。邻居们会不会揣摩他们在干什么呢？东西借回来了, 寡妇想起以利沙的话, 就把门关上。儿子把器皿拿来, 她就倒油。你看见没有, 神正在这里行一个神迹。当寡妇把她仅有的一瓶油到出来的时候, 油好像倒不完似的, 一直流, 直到把所有的容器都装满了。寡妇对儿子说, 再给我拿器皿来。儿子说, 再没有器皿了, 都满了。这时候, 油就止住了。神实在是以这样奇妙的方法来供应了她的需要。
??列王记下4：7说, 寡妇去告诉以利沙。她为什么要去告诉以利沙呢？她自己就可以决定了嘛！但这个寡妇想知道神叫她怎样做。她总是把神放在第一位。如果你相信主耶稣, 你也要把神放在第一位, 他就应许满足你所有的需要。或许你需要一个地方住, 或许你需要钱来买食物和衣服。也许你在学校的功课上有需要, 或者你在与家人和睦相处上需要帮助。现在你能复习一下今天所学的圣经经节吗？马太福音6：33说："你们要先求他的国, 和他的义这些东西都要加给你们了。" 如果先求神的国, 也就是说你正在考虑"神到底要我做什么？'', 那么你可以问问自己：1)神要我星期天去哪儿？2)神要我怎样来用他给我的时间, 天赋和钱财3)我怎样才能用神给我的这些来帮助人认识主耶稣。4)神要我怎样度过一生。
??神应许我们如果把神放在第一位, 他就应许满足你所有的需要。那个寡妇情愿不要自己决定怎样来用那个油, 所以她想问以利沙。以利沙说, 去把油卖了, 先把债还了。所剩的, 你和你儿子可以靠着度日。这下, 那个寡妇的悲伤化为喜乐。当她那天离开以利沙时, 她也许一路赞美神满足她所有的需要呢！她和她的儿子总算知道神是信实的。
??今天神仍然是信实的。神不会改变, 他的话语也不改变。如果你相信主耶稣是你的救主, 那么在这个星期你要把神放在你生命中的第一位, 好吗？他就应许满足你所有的需要。神满足你需要的时间和方法不一定是你所期望的, 然而神的计划和目的高于我们的。现在就下决心把你的时间, 天赋和钱财为主所用吧。向神祷告, 请他指引你怎样来服侍他。当他满足你的需要时, 可别忘了谢主耶稣。
??如果你还没有相信主耶稣, 那你得做一个很重要的决定。要知道当你承认你是个罪人, 并且相信接受主耶稣, 请他进入你的心, 把你从罪中拯救出来时, 神在你身上那奇妙的计划就开始施行了。可是你得决定要不要拣选主耶稣。现在请你去听"怎样成为神的孩子" , 那今天你就知道怎样让神奇妙的计划在你身上开始了。 |