Article December 12, 1953 Issue

"WHAT HAST THOU IN THE HOUSE?"

DOROTHY A. EREAUT

When a widow came to the prophet Elisha begging for aid because her sons were about to be sold into bondage to pay their debts, Elisha asked her (II Kings 4:2), "What hast thou in the house?" The woman, seeing only the poverty of materiality, answered despondently, "Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil."

To Elisha's inspired and prayerful thought the oil was sufficient to meet the human need. He bade the woman fetch all the vessels she could borrow and pour out the oil. This she did until the vessels were full, and from the sale of this valuable commodity the demands of her creditors were met; and still there was enough remaining to meet the needs of her own household.

A student of Christian Science, when working out a problem of supply, pondered this account and the definition of "oil" given by Mary Baker Eddy on page 592 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" as, "Consecration; charity; gentleness; prayer; heavenly inspiration." Realizing that her basic need was for greater receptivity to spiritual ideas, rather than for more money, she would ask herself whenever a need arose, "What hast thou in the house?" Frequently a thought came to her whereby she could utilize ingeniously and intelligently something already at hand.

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