Jia you!

I duno if my ping yin is spelled right, but in English: Add oil! Well not literally, it's more to cheer someone on. Anyways, I just finished listening to Dave Strong, a career missionary in Cambodia, when he came to speak at San Gabriel Valley Alliance Church some time ago. His message was taken from 2 Kings 4 about a widow who asked Elijah for help because her sons were to be taken from her in order to pay her husband's debt. In short, Elijah asked her what she had and she replied that she only had a little oil. He told her to find as many empty jars as she could and pour the oil that she had into the jars. She did and every jar that she found was filled with oil and when there were no more jars the oil stopped flowing. As Dave started with the passage the first thing that came to me was, maybe he'll talk about trusting God faithfulness to provide. If God asks you to look for empty jars you'd better be raiding your neighbor's recycling bins until there's not an empty jar within a ten mile radius of your house. But what he actually talked about was an even better message.

What moved me was the story he told about an elementary school project that he was involved in. As he was visiting a certain village in Cambodia he was asked if CAMA, the relief and development arm of the C&MA, could help them build a new elementary school. The School was in such a decrepit state that when a strong wind blew, the 140 or so students studying inside would run out for fear that the building would collapse on them. Dave asked them, what "oil" did they have to give? They said that they would go to all the villagers and ask them for what money they could spare to fund the project. Also there was a mountain nearby where they would hand quarry rock in order to provide gravel for the construction. Dave was excited that they were eager to have a new school and also eager to give of their time and money. However, there was nothing in the works in CAMA at the time that could help these people build a new school. But God saw that the people were willing to give what they had and He stepped in to take it the rest of the way. A seminary in New York contacted Dave, not yet aware of the need for the school, and asked him if there was a project that their students could support and sponsor. Through them enough funds were raised, contractors were hired and the village got their new school.

When God asks us to give or to serve, sometimes we are too quick to say, I have nothing to give and no skills to serve with. We sometimes think that when we are asked to give, it will only be worthwhile if we have enough to fulfil the need. God doesn't need us to fulfil the needs of His people, but He does want to use us, and He only asks for obedience and faith. Like the boy who brought his fish and loaves to Jesus, if we give what we have, God will be faithful to multiply it beyond the need. So don't despair when you see a deficiency in your funds or abilities, be glad because it means that you get to see God work. All you need is a little oil. Don't give up, keep running the race. Jia you, jia you!