2 KINGS ‭8:4-5

WOMEN OF THE OLD TESTAMENT- THE SHUNAMMITE WOMAN- (2 KINGS 418-37, 2 KINGS ‭8:4-5)

8:30 PM

 

A PRAYER IN THE LIGHT OF HER STORY

“My heart rejoices in You Lord, for You have blessed me and my family abundantly and over the years You also gave me the opportunity to witness to our king, of Your Loving-kindness and Your Wondrous works in our lives through Your Prophet Elisha!  

I can vividly remember how we first met Elisha and how through him, You touched our lives in such a special way! My husband and I were old and had not conceived a child, but we loved and served You with all our hearts. When you blessed us with the promise of our child I was so surprised I had not realized I still had this deep yearning in my heart; but You knew this! Later when our child grew and suddenly became ill and died, I now understand that: only You gave me the courage and the certainty that I should find Elisha and trust that “ALL would be fine”, that You would restore my son back to life! You had a Perfect Plan and Purpose in all this! How can I be silent and keep all these blessings to myself?

“I will give You thanks with all my heart;
I sing praises to You before the [pagan] gods.
2 I will bow down [in worship] toward Your holy temple
And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word together with Your name.
3 On the day I called, You answered me;
And You made me bold and confident with [renewed] strength in my life.

4 All the kings of the land will give thanks and praise You, O Lord,When they have heard o

the promises of Your mouth [which were fulfilled].
5 Yes, they will sing of the ways of the Lord [joyfully celebrating His wonderful acts],
For great is the glory and majesty of the Lord.
6 Though the Lord is exalted, He regards the lowly [and invites them into His fellowship];
But the proud and haughty He knows from a distance.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.
8 The Lord will accomplish that which concerns me; Your [unwavering] lovingkindness, O Lord, endures forever—Do not abandon the works of Your own hands.”  (Psalm 138)

Amen!


Mari Salinas

______________________________________________

Every Friday we meet for prayer and would love to have you join us.  We meet at 9:00am EST. over at Women in the Word Bulletin Board on our Facebook



 


Becky Austin

God’s Promises: the Shunammite Woman

10:30 AM



In the story of the Shunammite woman, we see a woman who was seeking and placing value on godly things. She recognized the blessing of having Elisha ministering in her life and she was grateful. She wanted to use the resources she had to bless this man of God by providing him a place to stay. This was a woman who wanted to give. She was not doing it for any material gain. She was content with accepting the circumstances of her life without grumble or complaint, including being past the days when she would likely conceive a child from her elderly husband. But, God knew that it would bless her heart to have a son. He knew also that the heart strings of motherhood would cause pain and distress if anything happened to that son. 


This reminded me of the young Mary who also valued godly things and upon whom God would bestow the greatest honor of motherhood in being the mother of the promised Messiah. The Scriptures tell us she was blessed to be the mother of Jesus, however, she too would feel all the sorrows and distress of what would happen to her son. “Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.””  Luke‬ ‭2:34-35‬ ‭


As I pondered this, I thought about how this life brings such a mix of joy and sorrow. We can be favored by God and yet the blessings God has given us may also one day become intertwined with pain and heartache. Obviously the Shunammite woman was heartbroken at the death of her son and she pressed for answers.

“When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.” “Did I ask you for a son, my Lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?””  2 Kings‬ ‭4:27-28‬ ‭


How often do we find ourselves with questions and pouring our heart out to God, trying to understand why, if we are promised his favor and blessing, do we also have to endure pain,sorrow, heartache and distress. Obviously, in this life there is a mix of joy and sorrow. But, even though we may not always understand in the moment, ultimately we can trust that God can be glorified even from our suffering. And if God is glorified, is that not the greatest service of our life that we can offer to Him? 


And God did use this time of heartache and suffering for His glory and also for her well-being. Fast forward to the perfect timing of this woman coming before the King to petition him for the return of her land. “The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, “Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done.” Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to appeal to the king for her house and land. Gehazi said, “This is the woman, my Lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.””  2 Kings‬ ‭8:4-5‬. So obviously this was a king who honored God and was touched by this woman’s miracle story of God at work. Her land had been in his keeping during the famine and was restored to her. God was looking out for her all along and through her story of tragedy and renewed hope, He was glorified and magnified. 


The Bible does not promise that the Christian life will never have difficulty, challenges, pain, heartbreak or sorrow. But, the Bible is full of hope and comfort for us even in our sorrows. His desire is to bless us and grow us up into a mature spiritual relationship and deeper understanding of Him. We are encouraged to trust in a God who can use all the circumstances of our lives for His glory. 


“They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭112:7‬ ‭


“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.” Isaiah‬ ‭26:3-4‬ ‭


“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”  Romans‬ ‭5:3-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬


“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”  Psalms‬ ‭9:10‬ ‭

Faith

Lessons From The Shunammite Woman

8:00 AM

 Her story is found in 2Kings 4 & 8.



O Girls! I am so EXCITED, for we have finally made it to the one woman I've been longing to write about this whole semester!! And we don't even know her name! We wouldn't even know of her at all if it hadn't been for Elisha, but she is a woman worth celebrating and emulating in our lives. 

She is only know by the town in which she lived: Shunem. You may remember the Shunammite woman (Mrs. S) as the one who offered a room in her home to the prophet Elisha. Her story, found in 2 Kings 4 and 8, is an incredible example of the Christ-like character qualities we should all strive for.

So let's jump and in and discover exactly what is worth celebrating and emulating in each of our lives.

She was a giver.

“One day Elisha went to Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would turn in there to eat food.” (I Kings 4: 8)

Shortly after providing meals for Elisha, she goes to her husband to ask if she can do even more, “Behold now, I know that this is a holy man of God who is continually passing our way. Let us make a small room on the roof with walls and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that whenever he comes to us he can go in there.” (2Kings 4:9-10)

Imagine that for a moment. Mrs. S gave abundantly from her wealth. She didn’t stop at an occasional meal, but generously provided Elisha with lodging when he passed through her town. BUT, and here's the key, she didn't just provide any old room in her home, but had one built specifically for him with comfortable furnishings that he was free to use whenever he wished.

I know that Jesus has asked all of us to go the extra mile (Matthew 5:41) and tells us again, "To whom much is given, much will be required" (Luke 12:48), but how many of us would go to this extent? What kind of heart must you have to give this generously?

I want to give like Mrs. S.

She is insistent and gracious when offering hospitality.

One day Elisha went to Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would turn in there to eat food.” (I Kings 4: 8) 

In other words she didn't take no for an answer. The word for urged here is the same one Paul uses in Acts 16:15 to describe Lydia's hospitality to Paul and those traveling with him, “she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’"

It was customary to offer hospitality to traveler in their culture, but Mrs. S understood the game of deference people play when a generous offering is given, so instead of being swayed by Elisha’s hesitancy, she graciously insisted he take it.

She was intentional about being intentional when it came to offering Elisha hospitality, and assured him that she was very sincere in her desire to provide it.

Are we this sincere when we offer a gift of hospitality in our home? Is our heart all in?

I not only want to offer hospitality, but I want to make it easy for others to accept it.

She offered what she could to support God's ministry.

Mrs. S recognized that Elisha as God's minister, (Behold now, I know that this is a holy man of God who is continually passing our way. -v.9)

And wished to offer what she could to support both this man and God. Her ministry would be to support Elisha's ministry.

Not all of us are called to go off to the mission fields, or even teach, but we can help lift the burdens of those who are. What Mrs. S offered made Elisha's work easier by providing meals, comfort, rest, and fellowship. And by doing so, she affirmed that Elisha’s call was important.

I long to be one who recognizes the call of God on others and offer my encouragement and support.

She sought to serve others in the midst of suffering.

One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there.  He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him.  Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’”

She replied, “I have a home among my own people.”

 “What can be done for her?” Elisha asked.

Gehazi said, “She has no son, and her husband is old.”

 Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway.  “About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.”

“No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!” (2Kings 4:11-16)

When Elisha wanted to give back to her in return for her hospitality, he promised her a child, but her response was “No, my lord, O man of God; do not mislead to your servant.” (v.16) Mrs. S had been childless in a day when we know that could bring shame upon a woman. We can see her pain and longing for a child in her response.

BUT, the fact that Elisha was unaware of her barrenness, reveals that her personal suffering had not prevented her from serving others. In the age of victim-mentality that we live in today, Mrs. S is a great example of not allowing our pain to hinder serving and supporting others.

We each have the same choices; we can either focus on being a victim or a victor in the midst of our own suffering, and I have to wonder... have I allowed my emotions to dictate at times what I will or won't do for others. Have I used my pain as an excuse?

I do also understand that there are some victims of suffering who are unable to serve others at times, but I do want her selflessness to be true of me even in the midst of my struggles.

She exhibits tremendous faith in the midst of her deepest pain.

But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her. The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers.  He said to his father, “My head! My head!”

His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.”  After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.

 She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.”...

When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite! Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’”

“Everything is all right,” she said.

 When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.”

 “Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?”

 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. Don’t greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.”

 But the child’s mother said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.

 Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”

 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch.  He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord. ... The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.

 This is so powerful I couldn't leave this passage out! Pause a moment and look at her faith in the midst of loosing her son. O to possess such faith that nothing would deter me from seeking God even when all seems hopeless. 

She is not afraid to speak boldly and plainly before the most powerful man in the land.

The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, “Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done.”  Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to appeal to the king for her house and land.

Gehazi said, “This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.”  The king asked the woman about it, and she told him. (2Kings 8:4-5)

We may never have the opportunity to speak before powerful and influential people like a king, or rulers of our country, but I pray I will possess these same gifts to speak to my neighbor, friend, family member; anyone who is seeking the truth and never shrink back whenever the opportunity arises.

So, what do you think about this amazing women known only to all as "the Shunammitte woman"? I pray her life will impact all of us so that we will long to possess these same qualities she possessed in abundance.

Blessings,

sue