WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR HOUSE?

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There are times when we feel empty, like we have nothing to offer to our Lord. We struggled with feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness, wondering how we could possibly be used for His purposes. But then, I am always encouraged by the story of Elisha and the widow of 2 Kings 4. It has revolutionized my understanding of God’s provision and how He works through us. Let’s delve into this story then. Here are the five principles that we can learn from this story:

“Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.” – 2 Kings 4:1

This story begins with a widow in desperate need. Her husband, a prophet, has died, leaving her in debt and facing the prospect of her sons being taken as slaves. This situation made her cry out to Elisha for help. The widow could have given up in despair, but instead, she laid her situation before the prophet.

“And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.” – 2 Kings 4:2

Elisha’s first response is a question: “What shall I do for thee?” This question reveals God’s heart towards us. He desires to help us, to meet our needs, and to demonstrate His power in our lives. He wants us to bring our needs to Him, to trust in His provision, and to allow Him to be our Jehovah Jireh – our provider. The Prophet Elisha here symbolizes our Lord and the widow woman symbolizes us. The Lord Jesus asked a similar question of the blind man in Mark 10:51, “What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?” This is the first principle: we need to express our faith and lay down to Him our needs.

Don’t despise your times of needs. It is only through our needs that the power of the Lord can be seen in us (2 Cor. 12:9). This is the reason why we pray. Prayer is an all powerfull weapon, especially in times of need. It is during prayer that our faith is being seen and our spirit reach out to God (Eph. 6:18). It is our charging time. Our Spirit is recharged every time we go to our Lord. We need to lay down everything before Him and let him be God.

Let your problem be His problem. Let Him do what He really is for you – God.

“And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.” – 2 Kings 4:2

Elisha’s second question is crucial: “What hast thou in the house?” This reveals the second principle of God’s provision: He often works through what we already have. He uses what we have, no matter how insignificant it may seem and multiplies it, transforming our meager resources into abundant blessings.

This is how our Lord fed the five thousand with just five loaves of bread and two fish. When He wants to create something, He always uses something as raw material (e.g. water to make wine). The raw material that He wanted to use in order to produce something for us is the one that we already possess. He will not use what is not yet in us. He has given each one of us something, however small, that He can use for His glory.

The widow acknowledged her small pot of oil. And it is enough to be multiplied by the Lord. This small pot of oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit that dwells in us. As believers, we have the Holy Spirit within us, and that’s enough to transform our lives. It is always through the Spirit of God dwelling in us that our Lord can work in us. Ephesians 1:3 tells us that we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ. Regardless of the chaos around us, the Spirit is with us and is sufficient for the work of our Lord.

Elisha can only use what is already there in the widow’s house because he can’t create anything from nothing. He used the oil which is the only thing that the widow has in order to supply her need which is to have money. Because of her oil, Elisha multiplied it and the widow received money. Now, if you want something, the Lord will also use what you already have. This tells us that: we need to concentrate on what we have so that God can give us what we don’t have. And we have right now is His Spirit dwelling in us. We need to concentrate on it.

“Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.” – 2 Kings 4:3

The widow had only one small pot of oil. Elisha instructed her to gather more empty vessels from her neighbors, demonstrating that God’s provision is often linked to our willingness to receive and to share. If you want to multiply what you have, the law of the Lord is to share it. You need to find other vessels with whom you can share it. This is the law on how to multiply anything. We must keep finding empty vessels to pour into. Whether young or old, we must never stop seeking opportunities to serve and bless others.

Those vessels that will going to receive the oil must be empty. We need to learn that we must come to God with an empty vessel, free from the distractions of this world, so that He can fill us. An occupied vessel cannot be filled. If our lives are filled with the cares of this world, we cannot receive more oil of the Spirit. Let us come before Him emptied of worldly concerns, ready to be filled by His presence.

One of the most important laws of the spiritual life is this: to be filled, we must pour out to others. Our Lord can only pour in if you pour out. To receive, we must give. The oil only multiplied as long as it was being poured out. Let’s not hoard what God has given us. Instead, let’s bless others with it.

One of the truths that I learn in the ministry is this: If you want to know more, then you must share what you learn. If you want to receive more revelations from our Lord, you need to share the revelations that you receive from Him. Even in nature you can see this principle (e.g. you need to exhale in order to inhale, learn from the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, etc.).

We need to look for empty vessels. And not only look for few, but we need to look for many.

“And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.” – 2 Kings 4:4

The next principle that this story wanted to teach us is how to work in silence without the need to get praise from others. If the Lord has a ministry for you or has a mission for you, don’t sound the trumpet about it. The Lord’s commendation should be enough for us. If we don’t learn how to shut our mouths, it will lead us to failure in performing God’s task for us. Remember that the enemy is a roaring lion, just waiting for those he may devour. So learn to work in silence.

“So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.” – 2 Kings 4:5

The next key principle that this story wanted to tell us is to not only share what we have but to pour out what we have. This could be our time, talents, resources, or even our love and compassion. Pour them out. The principle is simple: If you pour out, God will also pour back to you. If you give just a little, you will also receive just a little.

“And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.” – 2 Kings 4:6

The last principle that this story wanted to tell us is to keep looking for empty jars. Remember that if you will stop pouring, the oil will also stop flowing. The oil stopped flowing only when there were no more vessels to fill. The oil will continue flowing as long as there are empty vessels. This reminds us to never stop serving and sharing the Word to others, even in our old age. As long as we’re willing to be used by God, His provision will continue to flow through us.

There is no problem in the amount of oil or provision that our Lord can give us, the problem is the number of empty vessels and our ability to pour out. Do not limit yourself in the amount of oil that you can receive. Be sure that you have a big empty vessel yourself so that you can pour out to others. The bigger your vessel, the more oil you can get. The bigger your emptiness, the more you will be filled.

It is not a question of how much God can give us, but how much we are willing to be used by our Lord. God’s oil will never be exhausted so long as we can share. Be sure then to always look for empty vessels. Remember that a jar that stops pouring will be put aside.

One day, when all the vessels have been filled, when the gospel has reached the ends of the earth, the Lord will come for His own. Until then, our job is to keep pouring, to keep serving, and to keep seeking the lost.

“Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.” – 2 Kings 4:7

Because of God’s multipying oil, the widow and her sons were free from debt and still have enough money for them to live. This is also the same with us. The Lord can provide for us so that we can live in this world while serving Him. But we need to be availble to be use by Him.

The story of Elisha and the widow is an encouragement to trust in God’s provision, even when our resources seem meager. It’s a call to bring our needs to Him, to be willing to pour out what we have, and to believe that He can multiply our efforts beyond our wildest dreams.

As we walk with God, let’s remember the question: “What hast thou in the house?” Let’s be open to His leading, allowing Him to work through us to accomplish His purposes and demonstrate His abundant provision.