“Seek the Lord and His strength…”
1 Chronicles 16:11
Conduit or Reservoir?
Faith is the conduit through which His strength flows. Years ago, in my own struggles to be a doer of the word and not just a hearer, the Lord reminded me of this. My understanding of faith, at that time, was that of a fullness that would be developed in me; out of that abundance, I would be able to go forth into the world with confidence.
This concept of what God meant by fullness produced in me a stagnation and feeling of insufficiency that God never intended. I was looking to be a reservoir from which I would be able to accomplish His Will out of my spiritual wealth in Him. It took years for the Lord to strip me of this notion, which was the result of wrong teaching and my own inherent self-seeking.
The revelation of this came as I realized that a conduit was never meant to store anything; its fullness was the result of God’s continuous flow. We were never designed to store up faith. We are created in Christ Jesus to have His Life move through us; ever seeking to encourage, exhort and bless others.
“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,
and one who waters will himself be watered.”
Proverbs 11:25
The difference between spiritual poverty and fruitfulness is determined by our relationships and interactions with others. A conduit is always empty when there is no flow. The impoverished widow discovered that her desperate situation was transformed by the pouring out of the “little oil” she had. God’s ways are higher, deeper, and so amazing.
“Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.” So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured, they brought the vessels to her. When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing. She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest.”
2 Kings 4:3-7
His promise to her was fulfilled by her seeking out empty vessels and pouring out the little she had. So is it with us. No child of God is empty where faith is active. The living truth of the New Covenant is one of giving. Notice when the oil stopped flowing: when there were no more vessels to pour into. We are to be always looking for empty vessels and opportunities to allow the oil of His Spirit to flow.
“Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
Luke 6:38
There is a secret contained in the above scripture: “the measure you use” determines the amount that is given back. It is not the measure you “have”, it is the measure you employ in giving to others. Too many in the church today have made the Christian experience a spectator sport, sitting in faithless inactivity, never venturing into the blessedness of giving. They set aside ten percent of the unrighteous mammon but never discover the joy of His living waters flowing through them!
There is no cost, no vulnerability in stagnation. Such “faith” robs God’s people of the life of adventure that can only be found in giving of the little we have! The individual who was given two talents, on the day of reckoning, was able to give back four! In the end, it does not matter what we have been given; it only matters by what measure we have given to others.
“And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”
Matthew 25:22-23
Again, notice the wording of this powerful scripture: “you have been faithful over a little!” It is unbelief for any child of God to declare they have nothing to give. Spiritual stagnation is the fruit of unbelief. It is the individual with the one talent who hides it in the earth of self. Faithlessness to the gift of God brings us to a day of reckoning with Him who is the giver of all good things. To deny the gift is to deny the Giver.
To think little of God’s “little” is to deny the truth of His fullness within the conduit.
“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.”
John 4:35
It is ever to those who lift up their eyes to see the things of earth through God’s perspective. The opportunities of faith are all around us. The faith of God sees through the veil of the lives around us, whether it be the woman at the well, or the masses across the sea, the fields are white for His harvest!
“Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes,
and see that the fields are white for harvest.”
“Live to explain thy doctrine by thy life.”
— Prior.
Conduit or Reservoir?
Related Post: The Purpose of the Spirit of God
Brian Troxel
Another perspective:
The oil (the Holy Ghost) ceases to flow, as in Elijah’s time, when there are no more empty vessels to be filled. People do not sense their need of God. But wherever there is a hungry heart God will fill it.
Frank Bartleman Azuza Street Chronicles
2 Kings 4:3-7 Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.”
So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.”
And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”
I have read and reread Bartleman’s account of Azuza Street Revival and have been encouraged to remain faithful to His purposes. He also stated “An empty altar will receive no fire”.
Blessings
BT
“We are created in Christ Jesus to have His Life move through us; ever seeking to encourage, export and bless others.” … Amen Brian!
Thank you for this inspirational reminder Brian that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
Be blessed, and …
Keep Looking Up^ … His Best is Yet to Come!
Hello Fred, sorry for the late reply – I have been travelling lately. Thank you for stopping by and the comment they are greatly appreciated!
And yes, His Best is yet to come.
Blessings to you and your family.
BT
Brian what your message proclaims is so true. Our blessing only comes as the truth of what we know flows forth to the people around us who need what we have. The truth that has set us free will do the same for others. Appreciate you brother.
I’ve never seen 2 Kings 4 in the light as others being our vessels – it is an amazing thought because there will always be another vessel.
I did see this verse years ago and believed that God was speaking to my financial situation, but I have come to believe that the wealth we leave to our children and to our children’s children is the wealth of the knowledge of scripture and God’s desire to overflow us in it.
Mere money will fade away, but what if the world saw scripture the way they see money? They could become great vessels themselves.
Blessings Brian.