Text: 2 Kings 4:12-13.
‘It fell on a day that Elisha passed through Shunem, where there lived a great woman; And she would often implore him to stop and eat. She discerned Elisha to be a holy man of God and decided to build him a chamber so that he could stop by and find rest. Elisha said to Gehazi, call this Shunammite Woman, say to her, you have been meticulous in your care for us, ‘ What Is There To Be Done For You? ’

Word: Discerning Times & Seasons
This word ‘Time’ means, ‘A period of opportunity’. The Shunammite Woman discerned the posture of Elisha, realising he was a holy man, stepped into her period of opportunity to construct a chamber for him. I find this amazing because she was considered a ‘notable’ woman, meaning that she was prominent, well known, an entrepreneur, a businesswoman. Yet, in the midst of her busy schedule, and demanding timetable, she recognized a higher Kingdom call. Her decision to step away from prominent business deals in order to serve a humble holy man, just did not make sense to the corporate world. If she had allowed herself to entertain any uncertain sound, if she had submitted to the demands of her work schedule, or had she decided that this ‘man of God’ was not her responsibility, she would have missed her opportunity of a ‘Step-Up’.

For many of us, maybe we can’t even build a ‘shelter’ for ourselves much less someone else, no matter how ‘holy’ the person may be. Of course, this great Shunammite woman was able to do so, she was in a place of affluence and favour. But let’s not give up hope just yet. If we were to read a few verses above, there we see another woman. She however, found herself passing through the ‘Valley of Weeping’ (Psalms 84:6). She was ‘The wife of the sons of the prophets, but her husband had died and the creditors were about to take her two sons to be bondmen. This woman could not wait for Elisha to pass by, so, like the woman with the issue of blood, she pressed through to seek him. Elisha asked this woman the same question he asked the Shunammite, ‘What shall I do for you?’ However, he extended his question with these well-known words: ‘What do you have in your house?’ (2 Kings 4:1-2). What a strange question, it does make you stop and think. Perhaps our first response would be similar to that of this woman, ‘I don’t have anything in the house’.

Wow! Is that what you are thinking also? I don’t have anything in the house: no qualifications; no gifts or talents worth mentioning; no wealth or resources; no accolades or titles; no assets or investments: As a matter of fact, even the very house I am in is not mine. Perhaps all you have is dept, grief, disappointment, frustration, and creditors knocking at your door. Then suddenly she remembered, ‘All I have is just a pot of oil’. For Elisha, that pot of oil was all she needed: It was enough to catapult her from that place of ‘not enough’ and into a position of ‘more than enough’. Hallelujah.

People of God, the Holy Spirit could be asking you this same searching question today: ‘What Do You Have In Your House’?

Let Us Pray
– Father, I refuse to allow busy schedules to cause me to miss divine opportunities.
– Give me a willing heart to work with meticulous care. Father, forgive me where I have not ‘put my hand to the Plow’, or where I have worked carelessly and without diligence.
– Whether I’m in a position of affluence or in a place of lack, help me not to disregard, disrespect, or disqualify ‘what’s in my house’.
– Open my eyes to see the ‘cruise of oil’ in my house and to know that Your supply is ‘More than Enough’. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.