Corona Devo 834
You have most likely never heard of a wealthy woman from the town of Shunem, but allow me to introduce her to you. Her story (from the Bible) plugged into my life about five years ago when one of our cousins was having a baby. All of the excitement, hope and expectation that comes with delivery flew out the window when there were extreme complications and the child was whisked away (literally) by helicopter to a NICU unit, before his mom could even cradle him in her arms.
The diagnosis was more than bleak, and doctors advised the parents to prepare (and begin planning) for the death of the child.
Can you imagine?
What would you do?
You would pray.
So did I.
God (through reading the Bible) introduced me to a wealthy woman from the town of Shunem (2 Kings 4:8). It was the first time I had "met" her, but I will never forget her, and I love to reread her story because I lived her story, and I prayed her story for a cousin's child that was born and that I (and many) didn't want to die.
The wealthy woman from the town of Shunem was the kind, hospitable type, and when she came to understand that Elisha was a prophet of God that often passed through her town, she asked her husband to "build a small room for him on the roof and furnish it with a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp. Then he will have a place to stay whenever he comes by.” ~2 Kings 4:10
Because of her kindness, Elisha wanted to be kind and so he asked (his servant) Gehazi, “What can we do for her?”
Gehazi replied, “She doesn’t have a son, and her husband is an old man.”
And so the Lord gave the wealthy woman from the town of Shunem a baby boy.
But one day when her child was older, he went out to help his father, who was working with the harvesters. (19) Suddenly he cried out, “My head hurts! My head hurts!” (2 Kings 4:18-19).
The boy was taken back to the home, where he died in his mom's arms. She was heartbroken, but also determined, and she laid the (dead) child on Elisha's bed in the upstairs room, and then shut the door and left him there. (22) She sent a message to her husband: “Send one of the servants and a donkey so that I can hurry to the man of God and come right back.” (2 Kings 4:21-22).
And so she goes--without worrying (or telling!) anyone else, to find Elisha.
But when she came to the man of God at the mountain, she fell to the ground before him and caught hold of his feet... (28) Then she said, “Did I ask you for a son, my lord? And didn’t I say, ‘Don’t deceive me and get my hopes up’?” (2 Kings 4:27-28).
Elisha can see that this is a serious situation and after sending his servant Gehazi in an unsuccessful attempt to revive the boy, Elisha follows to the house with the woman.
When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet’s bed. (33) He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the Lord. (34) Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm. (35) Elisha got up, walked back and forth across the room once, and then stretched himself out again on the child. This time the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes!
(36) Then Elisha summoned Gehazi. “Call the child’s mother!” he said. And when she came in, Elisha said, “Here, take your son!” (37) She fell at his feet and bowed before him, overwhelmed with gratitude. Then she took her son in her arms... (2 Kings 4:32-37).
~~~
WOW!
If you hadn't met the wealthy woman from the town of Shunem before--now you have!
It's a fantastic story, and when the Lord put these verses in front of me years ago as I came before Him in prayer and petition for a tiny baby...I knew the child was going to have life breathed back into him. Not because I am a prophet (because I am not). Not because I am more spiritual than another (because I am not). Not because I have a better "connection" with God than someone else (because I don't). Not because I (in any way) deserve to have my prayers answered (because I don't).
The only way that I knew our cousin's child's recovery was going to happen and be called a "miracle" by doctors was because the Bible told me so.
God speaks to us through His Word.
In reading the Bible, in praying the Bible, in experiencing God's Word---He is present in our days, our situations, and in us.
I will never forget closing my eyes and repeatedly praying and picturing Jesus laying on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands (2 Kings 4:34), breathing life back into him.
You can call it a coincidence. I suppose there was a 50/50 chance that the child would live, no matter how many were praying for him. But I will never call God's work in our lives coincidence, and because of a wealthy woman from the town of Shunem, I (we!) have a real life-connection with this story from the Bible.
May we give God all the glory for the things we understand and the things we do not, and may His Word breathe life into each of us today!
Blessings,
sarah
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