The Little Pot Of Oil

Nothing . . . but a jar of oil.

2 Kings 4:2

In her book A Little Pot of Oil, Jill Briscoe describes a time early in her ministry when she confided in an older friend that she had run out of strength and was resentful and exhausted. Jill’s attention was directed to the little pot of oil within her. “You have all you need within you, Jill,” said the woman, “in the person of the Holy Spirit. You have heavenly help a heartbeat away. It works as you begin to appropriate what you have. Go home, shut the door, and spend time with the Lord. Then begin to pour out whatever you have into the empty vessels of your neighbors.”^a

That wasn’t exactly what Jill wanted to hear, but she went home, shut the door, and asked God to show her where to begin pouring. “Give me an idea, Lord,” she prayed. Then she arose, called a babysitter, and set off for the town center, where she began pouring her life into high-risk teens, opening a period of ministry that transformed the lives of many young people.

If you’re at the place God wants you to be, don’t quit. Instead, shut the door, pray, and ask God to give you a fresh idea for His work. Then begin pouring out of your little pot of oil. And as you pour out, God will pour in!

We have to step out and pour out, trusting that the Holy Spirit will fill us and give us what we need to continue.

JILL BRISCOE^b