January 19, 2022
Dearly beloved, I greet and bless you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The blessed word that the Lord has given for you today is from the book of 2 Kings 4:16, “About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.”
From the above context we learn that God had blessed the Shunammite woman. Since she was wealthy she was known as an honourable woman in the city. In this episode we see how the Lord blessed the woman with a son just because she honoured the servant of God, and later he also restored the life of the Shunammite’s Son. One day Elisha went to Shunem, a small town. And a well-to-do woman was there. She often urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came there, he stayed in her house top, there to eat. She provided a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. ”So she arranged a room for the servant of God who often visited the town. One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. One day Elisha said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him. Elisha said to her, ‘You have taken much trouble to accommodate us in your house. Now what can we do for you in return for the kindness you have shown to us. Can we speak on your behalf of you to the king or the commander of the army?’”She replied, “I have a home among my own people.”I don’t need anything more. She was content with all that God had provided her.
But Elisha wanted to show some favour to her in return for what she has done for them. Gehazi said, to Elisha, “She has no son, and her husband is quite old. Then Elisha called her, and she came and stood in the doorway. Then Elisha said, to her, “About this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.” 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 is paining. 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.” Her husband asked her “Why go to him today?” “It’s not the New Moon or the Sabbath.” “That’s all right,” she said. She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on; don’t slow down for me unless I tell you.” So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. 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, and asked him, “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, “ Take my staff in your hand and run.. 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 Elisha, 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 behind him, the two of them and prayed to the Lord. 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. Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” And he did. When she came, he said, “Take your son.” She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out. Thus the Shunammite’s Son was restored to life. I wish to tell those of you reading this message that when you honour the servant of God then God in turn blesses you with a good reward. He will see what you lack in life and fulfil the desires of your heart. Submit your ways unto the Lord, trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass. God bless you.
Prayer: Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day. Dear Lord, we thank you for considering the shunammite woman and blessing her with a son, Not only did you bless her with a son, but also restored the life of her son from death. Consider us also and awaken all the dead situations in our life. May we too like the Shunamite woman rejoice in the Lord for the favour he had bestowed upon her.
In Jesus Name We Pray.
Amen.