What’s in Your House?
Tell me, what do you have in the house?” “Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil.” — 2 Kings 4:2 (NLT)
There have been seasons in my life when I felt completely depleted—emotionally, spiritually, or even financially. Times when I looked at my circumstances and thought, I don’t have anything left to give. Yet in those moments, God often whispered the same question Elisha asked the widow: “What do you have in your house?”
When the widow faced losing her two sons to a creditor, she cried out to the prophet for help. Instead of immediately solving her problem, Elisha asked her what she already had. God intended to use what was already in her possession to meet her need.
God did the same with Moses. When Moses doubted his ability to lead Israel out of Egypt, God didn’t hand him something new. Instead, He pointed to what was already in Moses’ hand—a simple shepherd’s staff—and used it as a tool to accomplish His purpose.
And God still works that way with us.
When we feel empty, inadequate, or overwhelmed, God invites us to look at what He has already placed in our “house”—our gifts, skills, experiences, relationships, resources, and even the small things we tend to overlook. What we see as “nothing at all” may be the very thing God wants to use.
If you’re facing a need today, pause and look around your “house.” What has God already given you that He can use? Offer Him, like the widow, your small flask of oil; like Moses, your ordinary staff; like the little boy, your two fish and five loaves. Whatever you have—no matter how insignificant it seems—can become much when it’s placed in the Master’s hands.