Then he said, “About this time next year you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant!” (2 Kings 4:16 NKJV)

If your faith is waning, you’re about to meet a woman with great faith who once stood in your shoes. When Elisha met the Shunammite woman and her husband, she desired to build a room onto their house for him.  Honored by their gift, Elisha asked what he could do for the Shunammite woman.

Satisfied with her life, she requested nothing. Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, had noticed the emptiness of their house whenever they visited, so he suggested, “she has no son.”

Elisha spoke to the woman, “About this time next year, you shall embrace a son.” She doubted  Elisha, but she conceived and gave birth to a son who she cherished. She discovered she could trust God for a miracle. She could trust God to make dead things live again.

Years passed, and the boy became ill during the heat of harvest time. The Shunammite woman cradled her boy in her arms, but he died.

But this woman had faith and even as tears rolled down her face, she climbed up to Elisha’s room, laid her dead son on Elisha’s bed and shut the door behind her.

Grief tried to overwhelm her, but she refused to allow it to stop her. She told her husband she was going to Elisha, but she said nothing about their dead son. When he asked why she needed to see Elisha, she responded, “It is well.”

She instructed her servant to drive her saddled donkey hard.

At the sound of hoof beats, Elisha glanced up seeing the Shunammite woman approaching. He sent Gehazi to meet her. Gasping for breath from the twenty-mile trip, she answered, “It is well.”

She raced to Elisha, falling at his feet. He saw her eyes, swollen from sobbing.  Faith had given her strength to reach him, but she couldn’t hide her distress, nor did she stuff it down and ignore it. Despite her grief, she spoke faith each time she repeated, “It is well.” She acted in faith when she laid her child on Elisha’s bed rather than preparing him for burial.

She still felt the pangs of a fresh wound, but she chose faith.

Like this Shunammite woman, we will face seasons of distress that refuse to depart. We’d label her inhumane if she didn’t grieve, but the lesson we must learn from her is to choose faith.

Choose faith in spite of our feelings.

Elisha sent Gehazi ahead, but our woman of faith refused to leave Elisha. He must return with her.

God revived the boy after Elisha prayed persistently.

How can we possess the faith of the Shunammite woman? She had seen God at work, and so have we. Do you recall a healing? A deliverance? A provision? Never allow the devil to steal your testimonies. Build your faith on them. Our flesh will respond naturally to loss, but our faith is still alive, and…it is well.

Lord, help me to say “It is well,” in the midst of trouble, in the midst of heartache, and in the midst of darkness. I truly know it is well with You, but I am still living in a body of flesh and these emotions get the best of me at times. In the name of Jesus Christ, it is well. Amen.

DIG DEEPER

Read 2 Kings 4:8-37.

HIKING THE TRAIL

What are some circumstances where you feel out of control with your emotions? How can you remind yourself that faith is still at work and it is well in spite of what you are feeling? Faith isn’t a feeling, so you can have both.

RELATED RESOURCE

It is almost impossible to prepare for the unexpected, because it is just that – unexpected. What if you had a handy resource that gave you encouragement in those unexpected seasons? Learn more here.

Originally posted on June 28, 2021 @ 3:00 am