Devotionals for the Heart: Quanny's Question based on a Bible story

What Do You Have in Your House?
A devotional by Quantrilla Ard

“And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? Tell me what has 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 KJV

A few years back I was searching for something. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but it kept me up at night, concerned me throughout the day and quite honestly had me in an overall sour mood. Now I tried to put a brave face on and cover up this discontentment through being busy. I was a wife, mom, student, and church secretary at the time so there was no shortage of tasks from which to choose. But there was a void of sorts. In trying to figure out my feelings, I came across a passage of scripture that changed the direction of my life forever.

It wasn’t that I didn’t know the story, I’m sure I had heard it before growing up. Yet this time, something clicked and came alive in my heart. It literally moved me to tears. In chapter 2 of 2 Kings, Elisha had just received the double portion of God’s spirit after Elijah was translated and he begins to do miracles. Two chapters later, we find a certain woman in a precarious situation, a woman who happened to be a widow of one of the sons of the prophets - the same group of men who trained under Elijah.

The Bible says that she cried to Elisha because the creditor had come to take her two sons to be servants, to pay off the debt they had no doubt accumulated since the passing of her husband. Elisha asked her, “What shall I do for you?” Then he follows up with another question, “What do you have in your house?” Now, this was interesting! I’m sure this woman had probably sold any and everything of value to pay what they owed. She replied that there was nothing, “save a pot of oil" (2 Kings 4:2).

Next, Elisha told her to do something that stretched her way out of her comfort zone. It wasn’t that she lacked faith; she knew that Elisha through the power of God could help her. So what did she lack? Not sure. But what I know for sure is this - when you are down and in the depths of despair, you do not feel like going to anyone asking for anything. At all. And here it is that her salvation was dependent on her ability to set her pride aside and ask for help from people she had probably tried to hide her situation from the whole time. Mercy.

Let’s continue. Elisha told her to borrow empty vessels from all her neighbors, and not just a few. Can you imagine the stares and looks of confusion? Then, she was to come back home, shut herself and her sons in, and pour that leftover oil into all the vessels, setting the full ones to the side. While pouring out, she asked one of her sons to bring her another vessel, and he replied that there was not one left to fill. The oil remained. Hallelujah, the oil remained. She tells Elisha what she had done, and he responds with one last task. He says, “Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children off the rest.” The end.

When I think about this story and the pain and fear that were such large parts of it, I am brought to tears. Like the widow, I have often found myself in situations in which I am literally empty – situations in which I have sold everything in my “house” and cannot identify anything left of merit or value. I cry out to God asking Him to fix my destitute mess, and He asks me, “Beloved, what’s in your house?” This question urges me to look for my pot of oil, that thing I’ve overlooked because I’ve not assigned it much worth. God then instructs me to go to my neighbors, to tell my story, to ask them for vessels to pour my oil in. “What miracle can come from that?” you may ask. Dear friend, I’ll tell you. Full vessels of oil…plenty, supply, met need, overflow, and freedom from the surety of bondage! Thank you Jesus.

So did I ever find what it was I was searching for? Absolutely. God revealed to me through His word that what I needed was already in my purview. I didn’t need to look elsewhere to fill the void I was experiencing, I simply needed to take inventory of my house and find my oil. 

I guess all that’s left to ask is, “What’s in your house?”

~*~
Author Bio: 

Quantrilla (Quanny) Ard is a faith-based personal and spiritual development writer who lives in the DC Metro area with her husband and three littles. 

In addition to being a dedicated wife and mother, she is an entrepreneur, doctoral student, and curator of all things lovely. 

As a woman on her own quest of shining a light on the shadowy, hidden places in her life, she writes as the PhDMamma about things she knows to be true in hopes to encourage others to do the same. 

Her spiritual goals and her love for Christ propels her quest to share the journey with other women: to walk alongside them and encourage them with words, deeds, and wisdom. Quanny believes in the power that is within collective strength, community, and fellowship. 

You will find her wherever people are sharing stories of triumph.

~*~
Connect with Quanny:
Website - https://www.thephdmamma.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thephdmamma
Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/qyard08
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/quannyboo/ 

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