Have you ever been in a situation of dire need? In this country, dire need is less common because we have systems in place to care for the needy. Nevertheless, there are still people who fall through the cracks and poverty has risen sharply in recent years. Many people are homeless through no fault of their own because the cost of housing, in particular, is so high. Greed and corruption in business and government trickle down to hit the most vulnerable the hardest.
The privilege of Caring for the Needy 
In Bible times, God put systems in place to care for the needy. The poor were to be looked after by those who had more. It was their opportunity to serve God by loving and caring for the needs of others. Unfortunately, in much of Israel’s history, the systems that God put in place were abused by the greedy and those with the power to enforce their own selfish agendas. Widows and orphans were the most likely to face dire need and were the most vulnerable to the abuse perpetuated by the powerful members of society.
A God-Fearing Widow
This was the case in Elisha’s day. A widow in dire need approached him for help. Her husband had died and left debts and now the creditors were coming to take her two sons as slaves. She would be left completely destitute with no one to care for her as she got older. She was a God-fearing woman and she believed that Elisha could do something to help her.
He asked what she had in the house; she told him she had nothing save a little oil. So he instructed her to borrow as many containers as she could from her neighbours, which she did. Maybe she wondered why he told her to do that, but she acted in faith. Elisha knew that a miracle was coming her way and she had to prepare to receive it. So he told her not to borrow just a few, but a lot (2 Kings 4:3). This miracle would be larger than she could imagine, but she looked beyond her situation of dire need and her faith grasped hold of the promise. She did exactly as she was told.
He will bless those who fear the Lord,
Both small and great.Psalm 115:13
Shutting Out the Gossips 
Elisha told her to go inside and shut the door. She had to shut out the distractions and doubts of the world outside. Her neighbours were probably curious as to why she had borrowed all their containers and she had to shut out the curious onlookers and gossips who might have cast doubt over what God planned to do. Then, as Elisha had instructed, she began pouring the oil into the containers. It kept going as she filled the first container, then the next, until finally, all the containers were full. She was able to sell the oil and pay off her debts and live on what was left over. (2 Kings 4:1-8).
God can Multiply what We Have
This story is a wonderful example of the way that God can take what we have and multiply it for His use or to meet our own needs. Faith is the catalyst that makes this possible; it creates a partnership with God’s power and good intentions towards us and makes the impossible a reality. God can do the same for us as He did for this widow: He can pour out on us as much as we are able to receive. He is not limited by dire need or hindered by impossibility.
Our Dire Need is God’s Opportunity 
Sometimes we face dire needs and we know that we will in the times ahead as the world comes to an end. They might be temporal or of some other nature, but God knows how to supply them. When we seek the leading of the Holy Spirit, He can show us what to do. He might show us something that we already have that we can use as a solution to the problem. Or He might do something new or unexpected.
Regardless of how God works, we must close the door to doubt and the distractions of the world and the devil. And we must open our minds to the possibility that God will do greater things than we can imagine. We must not limit what He can do for us because we can’t see it; His blessing may be in proportion to the size of our faith. He is able to do more than we can ask or think.