25th Day of Lent

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

2 Kings 4:1-7, MSG

One day the wife of a man from the guild of prophets called out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead. You well know what a good man he was, devoted to God. And now the man to whom he was in debt is on his way to collect by taking my two children as slaves.”

Elisha said, “I wonder how I can be of help. Tell me, what do you have in your house?”

“Nothing,” she said. “Well, I do have a little oil.”

“Here’s what you do,” said Elisha. “Go up and down the street and borrow jugs and bowls from all your neighbors. And not just a few—all you can get. Then come home and lock the door behind you, you and your sons. Pour oil into each container; when each is full, set it aside.”

She did what he said. She locked the door behind her and her sons; as they brought the containers to her, she filled them. When all the jugs and bowls were full, she said to one of her sons, “Another jug, please.”

He said, “That’s it. There are no more jugs.” Then the oil stopped.

She went and told the story to the man of God. He said, “Go sell the oil and make good on your debts. Live, both you and your sons, on what’s left.”

Reflection - Pastor Caroline Bashore, First UCC, Royersford and Linfield UCC

How many of us sit in the pews week after week, struggling in silence?

We tell ourselves we should be able to handle things on our own. We convince ourselves that asking for help is a sign of weakness. Maybe we think that because we go to church,

we shouldn’t struggle. But having faith does not mean that we are perfect or even that we are better than anyone else—it’s about trusting that we don’t have to go through life alone because God is always with us.

The widow in this passage was desperate. Her husband had died, and now her sons were about to be taken from her. She could have suffered in silence, but instead, she called out for help. She went to Elisha, admitting her need. That was the first step toward her salvation—not the oil, not the jars, but the simple act of reaching out.

How often do we hesitate to do the same? How often do we let pride, fear, or shame keep us from asking for the help we need?

God never intended for us to walk this road alone. We were created to bear one another’s burdens, to hold each other up, to answer each other’s cries for help.

What if today, instead of struggling in silence, you dared to speak your need aloud?

Prayer: Loving God, give me the courage to ask for help when I need it. Remind me that I don’t have to do everything on my own, and that you have placed people in my life to walk this journey with me. Amen