Do You Have Oil? Readiness that Cannot Be Borrowed

Unknown Speaker (0:01): Wake up. It's time to kick start your day. You are listening to Scripture Link's daily dose of inspiration. Let's go.

Unknown Speaker (0:15): Good morning, and welcome to this brand new day. This description links daily dose of inspiration for Tuesday, 06/09/2026. And it's a soggy day here in East Tennessee. A lot of heavy rain yesterday and actually, night in in Alabama and yesterday in in Knoxville and Chattanooga. And so supposed to be more of that today.

Unknown Speaker (0:43): So if you live in one of those areas or areas that's getting some rain today, just be careful as you go out there. Today is National Rhubarb Pie Day. I don't think I've ever had that, but there's a friend that, cuts my grass for me, and he always collects the rhubarb that that grows on the property. And I assume he's making rhubarb pie with it. I never had it, but, you know, if that's your thing, celebrate National Rhubarb Pie Day.

Unknown Speaker (1:17): Today is also National Forklift Safety Day. That's my job, driving a forklift, and so you always need to be safe doing that because it seems that people just don't understand not to walk out in front of you. Tomorrow, yesterday, we didn't have a broadcast because I had an early morning appointment tomorrow. I also Wednesday, I also have an early morning appointment, so there won't be a broadcast tomorrow either. So looking ahead to tomorrow, tomorrow is National Ice Tea Day and National Ballpoint Pen Day.

Unknown Speaker (1:49): So there you have it, some things to celebrate today and tomorrow. Our bible reading today is Matthew chapters 19 through 21. Matthew chapter 19 to 21, and tomorrow is Matthew 22 through 24. And I certainly hope you join us as we're reading through the New Testament this summer. And today, I want us to to talk a little bit more.

Speaker 1 (2:18): It was about the parable of the 10 virgins that we talked about last week in Matthew chapter 25. I don't wanna rehash the story because we dug into the story last week. But there was some insights and some things that I was thinking about in the past few days concerning this story and some things I've been thinking about for a different upcoming episode. But this story, the parable of the 10 virgins, of course, was a parable of the end times. It was pointing to to the return of Jesus and how five of the ladies had brought extra oil just in case there was a delay, and five did not.

Speaker 1 (3:04): The five that was ready when, or the five that brought the extra oil was called wise. The five that didn't was called foolish. And when the time had come that that the bridegroom was coming to the wedding, the five that was wise was ready. That symbolized that they had a true faith, a steadfast faith. Their oil didn't run out.

Speaker 1 (3:32): They brought extra. They had enough. But the five foolish had the appearance of being right with God, had the appearance of having a faith in Christ, but really didn't. There's a story in the book of second Kings in the Old Testament, chapter number four, that I think goes along with this particular story, and I'm gonna tie the two of them together here in just a minute. But we read in second Kings chapter four verses one through seven.

Speaker 1 (4:13): Scripture says, now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha saying, thy servant, my husband is dead, and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the lord. And the creditor has come to take onto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, what shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in thy house? And she said, thine handmaid hath not anything in the house save a pot of oil.

Speaker 1 (4:47): Then he said, go, borrow thee vessels abroad from all thy neighbors, even empty vessels. Borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon my sons and shall pour oil into all those vessels. Thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him and shut the door upon her and upon her sons who brought the vessels to her, and she poured out.

Speaker 1 (5:17): And it came to pass when the vessels were full that she said unto her son, bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, there is not a vessel more, and the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, go and sell the oil and pay the debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest. Interesting story that we see here.

Speaker 1 (5:42): What we see here in verse number one is a husband had died, and the creditors was gonna take her son as payment for the debt. I guess the creditors were merciless back at Jesus' in in Elisha's time as well. They were gonna take the the sons as a payment for the debt, and she cried out to Elijah for help because she knew that Elijah was the prophet of God, and she was seeking help. In verse number two, Elijah asked her what he should do for her and what she has. What what could he use?

Speaker 1 (6:15): He was looking for something that he could use. You know, that was part of the thing with the the parable of the 10 virgins that we looked at. God's always looking for somebody that he could use. He was able to use those five that brought the extra oil. He was able to use them, and we need to make ourselves available to God.

Speaker 1 (6:36): We need to say, God, here's here's my house. Here's my possessions. Here's my things. Use them to bring glory to you. How many of us have ever said a prayer like that?

Speaker 1 (6:48): Verses three and four give us the instructions that Elisha has said to her. Then he said, go and borrow the vessels from abroad of all thy neighbors. Even empty vessels, borrow not a few. She was told to go and get vessels, not a few vessels, because Elisha was probably looking through his spiritual eyes and seeing the great work that God was gonna do here for that lady. And he said, borrow not a few, symbolizing that she was gonna need a lot.

Speaker 1 (7:20): And verse number four, he tells her when she gets the stuff, go into the room, go into the house, shut the door, and pour the oil into those vessels, pour the oil into the things that she borrowed from her neighbors. Tonight, I wanna point out something right here that when God's gonna do a work in our life, God's gonna do a blessing in our life. He gives us the instructions, and it's up to us to follow those instructions. If this woman would've would've went out and borrowed a a vessel and empty pot, she wouldn't have have got the blessing that God was about to give her. But she followed the instructions.

Speaker 1 (8:06): She poured the oil out. She went in and she poured the stuff out in verse five. In verse six, when the vessels were full, she said unto her son, bring me a vessel. And he said, there isn't no more. And the oil stopped.

Unknown Speaker (8:23): The vessels were all full, and the oil stopped once she filled everything she had she had got once she filled all the empty vessels. And verse number seven reveals that Elijah said unto her, go sell the oil, pay the debt, and live off of that oil. She got her debt paid. She got her blessing from God. She had more oil than she ever ever needed.

Unknown Speaker (8:50): What's our takeaway from the story today? The oil stops, and listen to this. This is important now. The oil stops when capacity stops. Think about that.

Speaker 1 (9:10): The oil stops when capacity stops. Once this woman filled all her vessels, the oil stopped. It didn't stop halfway through. She didn't fill one or two when it stopped. She filled everything.

Speaker 1 (9:24): Every available thing that she had, she filled. The oil did not run dry until she filled all her vessels. Just like the the parable here of the 10 virgins we looked at, the five virgins that brought the extra oil, God's grace, God's provisions are only limited by our capacity to receive. They're only limited by our faith. They're only limited by our preparedness.

Speaker 1 (10:03): God's grace and God's provisions are limited by our capacity to receive. The five that brought the extra oil increased their capacity, increased their faith. They were prepared. They increased their preparedness. The five that didn't bring extra oil didn't prepare.

Speaker 1 (10:23): They didn't get ready. They didn't have the faith they claimed to have. They didn't have the capacity to receive. They just gave God that little bit. And so many of us are are content with giving God that little bit instead of opening up and saying, God, increase my faith, increase my preparedness, increase my capacity.

Speaker 1 (10:47): We're talking about spiritual readiness. This miracle required this is point two now. This is the second thing in our takeaway. This miracle required an active obedience. It required an active obedience if she didn't go out and collect empty vessels, if she didn't prepare the room, if she didn't do any of those things, she wouldn't have received her miracle.

Speaker 1 (11:20): She had to prepare. She had to go get stuff. She had to gather everybody in there. They had to close the door. They had to start pouring.

Speaker 1 (11:28): And I'm thinking she poured the first vessel and she's like, oh, I hope that the oil holds out. My pot's almost empty. And they get the second one up there. And she's like, I can't believe the second one is full. This pot this pot's near empty and they bring the third vessel in.

Speaker 1 (11:43): Oh, I I just can't think there's gonna be much more. This is gonna be it. And it just kept going and going and going because she prepared and she was obedient. The oil only multiplied to the extent of the provision she laid out in faith. Do you catch that?

Speaker 1 (12:06): The oil only multiplied to the extent of the provision she laid out in advance. She would have only laid out five vessels. She would have only got five vessels. I don't know how many she collected, but it must have been a good amount because not only were they gonna live off of that, but they paid off their debt as well. So she must have had pretty good amount.

Speaker 1 (12:33): We're talking spiritual readiness. Is your life open to God that you can can keep getting that oil, that the oil keeps flowing because your capacity is increasing, because your faith is increasing, because you're preparing to do the things God called you to do, and you're living in obedience to what he's called you to do. Think about that as you go through this day and remember, get into God's word and allow God's word to get into you. Then share that word with someone today. Have a blessed day.

Speaker 2 (13:10): Doctor. Shami, I have some questions for you.

Speaker 3 (13:12): Yes, my son. Bare your soul. Open your mind that I might enlighten you with my wisdom.

Unknown Speaker (13:18): Yeah. Well, I was reading in the Bible. You what? I was reading the Bible.

Speaker 3 (13:22): Don't do that. You need inner wisdom like myself to decipher it. It's just too complicated. Well,

Unknown Speaker (13:29): I found its message quite simple.

Speaker 3 (13:30): No, you just read the simple part. It takes years to understand the Bible. Here, read my book.

Speaker 2 (13:36): Programming your VCR? No. The other side. Knowing God the Shammy way?

Speaker 3 (13:41): That Shammy. And what I say there is truth. Now wait

Speaker 2 (13:44): a minute. Why should I believe you? Have you ever healed the blind, walked on water, or raised the dead?

Speaker 3 (13:49): You think I'm God? Of course not.

Speaker 2 (13:51): Well, Jesus did. He performed incredible miracles that no one in history has ever done. We have reason to trust him.

Speaker 3 (13:57): I knew it. I knew this would happen. Already, you're confused. I don't feel confused. Of course not.

Speaker 3 (14:03): You haven't read my book yet.

Unknown Speaker (14:04): Another message from Lifeline Productions, the comic strip of radio at lifelinepro.com.