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  AND THE OIL STAYED.
  by F.B. Meyer
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Summary: The reason for a dwindling supply of blessing in one's life is
often due to a failure to bring vessels of need to God, resulting in
unfulfilled promises and a lack of productivity.

Topics: "Faith", "Expectation of God's Blessings"
Scripture References: 2 Kings 4:6, Isaiah 54:2, Matthew 7:7, Mark 11:24, Luke 6:38, John 15:7, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Ephesians 3:20, Philippians 4:19, James 4:2

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DESCRIPTION
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F.B. Meyer reflects on the story of the widow and the oil in 2 Kings
4:6, emphasizing that the oil ceased to flow not because of a lack of
God's power, but due to the limited number of vessels brought forth. He
points out that many believers experience unfulfilled promises and
diminished blessings because they have stopped bringing their needs to
God, believing that He can no longer work through them as He once did.
Meyer encourages the congregation to continue seeking God's provision
and to expect His blessings to flow abundantly by bringing more vessels
of need. He warns against complacency and urges believers to remain
active in their faith and outreach, ensuring they are always ready to
receive from God.

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CONTENT
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And the oil stayed. 2 Kings iv. 6.

WHAT a sorrowful confession! There was no reason why it should stay.
There was as much oil as ever, and the power which had made so much
could have gone on without limit or exhaustion. The only reason for the
ceasing of the oil was in the failure of the vessels. The widow and her
sons had secured only a limited number of vessels, and therefore there
was only a limited supply of the precious oil.

This is why so many of God's promises are unfulfilled in your
experience. ‑‑ In former days you kept claiming their
fulfilment; frequently you brought God's promises to Him and said, "Do
as Thou hast said." Vessel after vessel of need was brought empty and
taken away full. But of late years you have refrained, you have rested
on your oars, you have ceased to bring the vessels of your need. Hence
the dwindling supply.

This is why your life is not so productive of blessing as it might be.
‑‑ You do not bring vessels enough. You think that God has
wrought as much through you as He can or will. You do not expect Him to
fill the latter years of your life as He did the former. You can trust
Him for two sermons a week, but not for five or six.

This is why the blessing of a revival stays in its course.
‑‑ As long as the missioner remains with us, we call look
for the continuance of blessing. But after awhile we say, Let the
services stop; they have run their course, and fulfilled their end. And
forthwith the blessing stops in mid‑flow. Let us go on pleading
with the unsaved, and bringing the empty vessels of our poor effort for
God to fill them up to the full measure of their capacity.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/fb-meyer/and-the-oil-stayed/
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