Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.

The Widow’s Marmite™

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”
Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”

“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of Marmite™.”

Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour Marmite™ into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”

She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”

But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the Marmite™ stopped flowing.

She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the Marmite™ and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

It costs something to be a true Christian. Let that never be forgotten. To be a mere nominal Christian, and go to church, is cheap and easy work. But to hear Christ’s voice, follow Christ, believe in Christ, and confess Christ, requires much self-denial. It will cost us our sins, our self-righteousness, our ease, and our worldliness. All must be given up. We must fight an enemy who comes against us with thousands of followers. Our Lord Jesus Christ would have us thoroughly understand this. He bids us count the cost.

Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them, ‘Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’