2 kings 8:1-6 - Passage Lookup - New International Version - BibleGateway.com: "1 Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, 'Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the LORD has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years.' 2 The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years.
3 At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to the king to beg for her house and land. 4 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.' 5 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 beg 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.' 6 The king asked the woman about it, and she told him.
Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, 'Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now.'"
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
God is Always Working in your Favor
Today I read 2 Kings 8:1-6
This is what I OBSERVED:
The Shunammite woman was a widow whose son was RESTORED to life. I am trying to imagine being in this woman's position with just that scenaro. Receiving the blessing of your child being alive after you knew he was dead.
Now, Elisha obviously had compassion for the woman and her son. He gave her insight on the hardships that were to come in the land that she was living in. He gave her a charge to leave, and to leave for seven years.
Still trying to put myself in her shoes... I am wondering what God will ask me to do that I just won't understand. My question is, "How is this thing going to work in my favor?". I wonder if she misguidedly thought this was her trade for her son's life. She had no idea what future was in store for her or her son and based on what she knew I am sure prosperity wasn't even a thought.
She obviously trusted Elisha and was indebted to him for her son's life. I am sure it wasn't a joyful task to leave her home and her land, not to mention any income she may have received from it. What emotional stress she had to be pondering in her own mind! Now, she was to trust this man of God, and to walk away from her life for seven years.
The scripture doesn't say anything about her turmoil, it just says she obeyed. I'm just placing myself in her life circumstances and creating my own turmoil here. Relating to her as a woman and how emotionally and mentally drained I get throughout my own life. My struggles with life in general and my lack of obedience is what brought about this type of thinking.
After the seven years were up, the Shunammite woman went back to land and humbled herself to go beg the king for her home and land back. Humility brings forth many blessing for sure!
God just happened to have Gehazi, Elisha's personal servant, in the presence of the king, obviously during a time when the king was amazed by Elisha's miracles and wonders. So, here we have Gehazi and the king discussing the this woman's son being restored to life and she is there at the same time to beg for her property back.
Gehazi was obviously a wise man too, so he felt no need to be in charge or have control and tell the king this woman's story - he stepped aside and had her tell it. He must have know the ownership she could express. The passion and intensity she could give to the story was much more than Gehazi owned from his prespective.
Now, the king instantly assigned her legal representation and gave a direct order to give back ALL that belonged to her and to include all the income from her land that was taken in while she was away.
Wow! This woman received the restoration of her son's life, her home and income that she obviously did not expect and relief during a famine. Now, I am reeling in my mind the hardships God saved her from during the famine.
I am pondering how God worked in her favor, all the aspects my human mind could never comprehend. She obeyed and humbled herself to God's instruction and she was blessed beyond belief. More blessing than she would have ever prayed for or expected.
How I can APPLY this to my life:
I don't think I could ever grasp the enormous blessings I would get if I sought Him, listened to Him and obeyed Him more.
If you really want to go deeper go back and match the things I am to do with the characters from this story. My guess is, you will add some of your own!
This is what I OBSERVED:
The Shunammite woman was a widow whose son was RESTORED to life. I am trying to imagine being in this woman's position with just that scenaro. Receiving the blessing of your child being alive after you knew he was dead.
Now, Elisha obviously had compassion for the woman and her son. He gave her insight on the hardships that were to come in the land that she was living in. He gave her a charge to leave, and to leave for seven years.
Still trying to put myself in her shoes... I am wondering what God will ask me to do that I just won't understand. My question is, "How is this thing going to work in my favor?". I wonder if she misguidedly thought this was her trade for her son's life. She had no idea what future was in store for her or her son and based on what she knew I am sure prosperity wasn't even a thought.
She obviously trusted Elisha and was indebted to him for her son's life. I am sure it wasn't a joyful task to leave her home and her land, not to mention any income she may have received from it. What emotional stress she had to be pondering in her own mind! Now, she was to trust this man of God, and to walk away from her life for seven years.
The scripture doesn't say anything about her turmoil, it just says she obeyed. I'm just placing myself in her life circumstances and creating my own turmoil here. Relating to her as a woman and how emotionally and mentally drained I get throughout my own life. My struggles with life in general and my lack of obedience is what brought about this type of thinking.
After the seven years were up, the Shunammite woman went back to land and humbled herself to go beg the king for her home and land back. Humility brings forth many blessing for sure!
God just happened to have Gehazi, Elisha's personal servant, in the presence of the king, obviously during a time when the king was amazed by Elisha's miracles and wonders. So, here we have Gehazi and the king discussing the this woman's son being restored to life and she is there at the same time to beg for her property back.
Gehazi was obviously a wise man too, so he felt no need to be in charge or have control and tell the king this woman's story - he stepped aside and had her tell it. He must have know the ownership she could express. The passion and intensity she could give to the story was much more than Gehazi owned from his prespective.
Now, the king instantly assigned her legal representation and gave a direct order to give back ALL that belonged to her and to include all the income from her land that was taken in while she was away.
Wow! This woman received the restoration of her son's life, her home and income that she obviously did not expect and relief during a famine. Now, I am reeling in my mind the hardships God saved her from during the famine.
I am pondering how God worked in her favor, all the aspects my human mind could never comprehend. She obeyed and humbled herself to God's instruction and she was blessed beyond belief. More blessing than she would have ever prayed for or expected.
How I can APPLY this to my life:
- Remember God is always working in my favor.
- Things don't only happen for my benefit - many others are involved in the process.
- God works all things for good for those who love Him.
- I shouldn't create my own turmoil.
- Obedience brings relief druing hardships.
- There are no coincedences, God is in control of every situation and conversation.
- My question should be, "How can I serve you Lord?"
- Sometimes the things He asks me to do might not seem like a blessing at the time, but they will turn out in my favor if I obey.
- God blesses me far more than I could ever imagine to ask for.
- I am to obey God.
- I am to humble myself.
- I am to give an account of what God has done for me.
- Allow those who have a personal testimony to share it and get out of the way - listen.
- Watch out and bless widows and single mothers.
- Speak wisdom and insight into other's lives.
- Aid in rewarding those who have been wronged.
- What is God asking me to obey Him in?
- What is God asking me to humble myself to?
- What instructions has God sent my way that I have or have not taken heed too?
I don't think I could ever grasp the enormous blessings I would get if I sought Him, listened to Him and obeyed Him more.
If you really want to go deeper go back and match the things I am to do with the characters from this story. My guess is, you will add some of your own!
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