He Can Pay What You Cannot Pay

The widow’s oil reminds us that Jesus Christ can free us from debts we could never pay on our own.

Scripture:
“And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.”
—2 Kings 4:2

Devotional Thought:
The widow in 2 Kings 4 had a problem she could not solve by herself. Her husband had died. Her debt was overwhelming. Her sons were in danger of being taken as bondmen. She needed help. She needed deliverance. She needed someone who could do what she could not do on her own.

So she went to the prophet Elisha.

Elisha asked her what she had in her house, and all she had was a small pot of oil. It did not look like enough. It did not seem like it could solve the problem. But as she followed the prophet’s direction, the Lord multiplied what she had. Vessel after vessel was filled until there was enough to pay the debt and preserve her family.

This story points us to Jesus Christ.

We may not have the same kind of debt this widow had, but all of us have a spiritual debt we cannot pay by ourselves. Because of sin, weakness, mistakes, and the demands of justice, we need a Redeemer. We need someone who can free us from bondage and help us truly live.

That someone is Jesus Christ.

Prophets do not replace the Savior. They point us to Him. They teach His word, invite us to act in faith, and help us receive His redeeming power.

The widow teaches us that when we bring what we have to the Lord, even if it feels small, He can do more with it than we ever could. He can take our small faith, our broken heart, our desire to change, our honest prayer, or our willingness to follow — and turn it into something that blesses and frees us.

Quote:
Elder Brian J. Holmes taught:

“As we walk with our Savior along the covenant path, we come to know an essential truth: To walk with Jesus is to follow His prophet. The Savior Himself calls prophets, speaks through them, and governs His Church by them.”

Reflection:
What is one burden, weakness, mistake, or spiritual “debt” I need to bring to Jesus Christ?

Today’s Challenge:
Choose one piece of prophetic counsel that can help you come closer to Christ. It could be prayer, repentance, scripture study, temple preparation, service, or listening to a recent conference talk. Act on it today with faith.

For more help teaching this week’s Come Follow Me lesson, get the full 2 Kings 2–7 Study & Teaching Guide at joshdowns.com/cfm-resources.