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.”

² 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 olive oil.”

³ Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. ⁴ Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”

⁵ She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. ⁶ 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 oil stopped flowing.

⁷ She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

2 Kings 4:1-7

The question I want to highlight here is, “What is in your house?” So often I find myself looking for a way to be used by God. I ask Him to reveal to me where He wants me to go and what He wants me to do. I tell Him, “If you give me a message, I’ll take it all over the world!” Then so sweetly and firm, He asks me just like Elisha asked the widow, “What do you have in your house?”

Being a single woman, I see all the books, Bibles, tools, microphones, laptops, recorders, etc. that are available to me to take the Gospel all over in person or via internet. But, I was missing something vital, more personal, more close than a microphone or even a blog post. I live in a blessed situation as to have my sister live in the apartment above me. She has blessed me with three gifts, my nieces. That’s who is in my house. I have a captive audience on three that will hang on every word that I say and even put it into practice! The whole time I was trying to minister to and love on others, which God is very capable of yet doing in His time and way, I had ministry steps away, in my home, that I could touch, see, interact with, and they would respond.

I am sharing this today ladies to ask, “What is in YOUR house?” Do you have nieces or nephews, an elderly friend or neighbor who is steps away? So what if they ain’t yo kids! I made that excuse before and delayed time pouring, that thanks be to God, He is redeeming right NOW! They are living, breathing, and worthy of hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Extend yourself! Be faithful over the little and you and I will begin to see our lonely hearts fulfilled. We will see our joy come through as the morning dawns! We will see the seed we plant or water begin to sprout up, indicating that something beautiful is developing in their hearts that although we cannot see, beneath the surface, we see a tender shoot of hope to know it is working.

I’m full of repentance this morning for taking so long to pour oil into my three little borrowed jars. Learn from my lesson and move into action for the borrowed jars in your life. If you have children, girl, that IS your ministry. All the other stuff is nice and all, but you may be raising a King David, a Joseph, or a Queen Esther under your roof! What’s in YOUR house?!

¹⁰ For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.

Zechariah 4:10a

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

Luke 16:10

Please do not overlook the small and beautiful beginnings God is trusting you with. If you are faithful over small, He will see that He can trust you with more. But if you are dishonest with little, He will see that you will be dishonest with much.

Thank you Holy Spirit for illuminating what I have in my house. I humble myself and ask for your continued strength in pouring until you send more jars or the oil stops flowing.

#pour #whatsinyourhouse #oil #smallbeginnings #refreshher