And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither. And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there. And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people. And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old. And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life. And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out. And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again. And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.
(2 Kings 4:8-23)
Today’s Morsel: One of the most important things that I like about the book of Job is not that he endured the things that he went through or even how God blessed him with more in the end, but rather his attitude when he received the evil reports of his loss. The Bible said that Job worshiped God. You see, I believe that Job prepared for the day of loss by sacrificing and worshiping God daily. And when tragedy came, it did not stop his worship. The Shunammite woman was somewhat like Job. She had prepared a place for the man of God beside her house. And when her son died, she could say, “It shall be well.” You see, when you know that God has already worked a miracle for you in your life, loss doesn’t stop you from worshiping. When you know that God has already brought you out from darkness into His marvelous light, loss doesn’t stop your worship. When God has already worked a miracle in your life, you don’t lose faith in His ability to work on your behalf. Job believed the dead tree could live as long as the roots were in the ground and it could sense water (Job 14:7-9). The Shunammite woman believed that her son could live if she got to the man of God. Let me encourage you, never lose heart over bad news or loss, as all things work together for the good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
Sing: It is well, with my soul; It is well, it is well with my soul.
Thought For Today: A soul well fed with the word of God will be well in adversity.
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