Staying Close to God
A dear friend at a local church has put on a Lady’s Day event for a few years now, and I love attending it. This past weekend, about 70 ladies from the community and surrounding area joined together for another amazing walk through scripture, worshiping the Lord in song, and just enjoying each other’s sweet spirits. My friend delivered a message that really touched my heart, so I thought I would share what I learned from her devotion.
Let us journey back to the Old Testament time of Elisha in 2 Kings 4: 8-37
The great prophet, Elijah had just ascended to Heaven on a chariot of fire in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2), and his spirit rested on Elisha. During his travels, Elisha became friends with a Shunammite woman and her husband. The Bible does not give us a name for this Shunammite woman, but we do know that she is wealthy yet charitable, she has the spirit of discernment (she knows Elisha is anointed), and she was content with what she had. Because she recognized Elisha as a man of God, she provided for his needs when he traveled through the region with a completely furnished room and food. Elisha tried to repay the woman, but she displayed contentment and asked for nothing in return. When Elisha discovered the woman did not have children and her husband was old, he told her that she would have a son within a year.
Although we can already learn from this amazing woman by how she treated and cared for Elisha, what she experienced with her son displayed the true depth of trust she had in God….
One day the boy went out to meet up with his father and the workers reaping in the fields. The boy began to complain about his head, so it is believed that he may have suffered from some type of sudden illness, perhaps a heat stroke. The boy was carried back to his mother where he sat on her lap and by noon, passed away. Can you imagine? How devastated this poor woman must have been! This son that had been promised by God after years of being barren was unexpectedly taken away from her. After everything she had done for Elisha for so many years, God would break her heart this way??
Personally, I have never experienced such a devastating loss, and my heart is crushed for women who go through the loss of a child. It is unimaginable!! It seems reasonable that this Shunammite woman would be so very angry at God and Elisha. At the very least she would be dealing with uncontrollable grief. When she regained her emotions, in her culture, she would have begun the burial ritual plans and process. But not this woman! Her reactions is what makes her stand out in Biblical history as a woman of faith.
On multiple occasions we see her live out her faith in God through her actions and words. Let’s look at each of these occasions:
When she realizes her son has died, the first thing she does is lay him on the Elisha’s bed in the spare room they had made for him. She shuts the door and leaves him there. To her, this is the closest to God she can place her son until she returns.
She asks her husband for a servant and donkey so “that [she] may run to the man of God and come back.” 2 Kings 4:22 Do you recognize the level of faith in this statement? She will RUN to God and then, COME BACK. In this moment of crisis, she runs to God first.
When her husband questions her intentions, she simply states “It is well!” (2 Kings 4:23) It’s as if she knows exactly who is in control of the situation.
When Elisha saw her from a distance, he sent his servant, Gehazi to meet her. But that was not who she wanted nor needed. She gives Gehazi the same simple statement, “It is well.” 2 Kings 4:26
When she finally reached Elisha, she falls to his feet. It was at this point she finally broke down…. She had reached her destination…. She was now as close to God as she could possibly get herself to bring her grief, sorrow, anger, and a petition. Elisha recognized that “her soul is in deep distress.” 2 Kings 4:27
Elisha sent his staff with Gehazi to the boy, but the Shunammite woman stayed with Elisha. She wanted to stay as close to God as she could. Seeing her determination, Elisha returned with the mother.
Through a series of actions, Elisha brought the young boy back to life. And what did the mother do? She, again feel at the feet of Elisha…. The first thing she did was praise and thank God for returning the gift He had given her for a second time. Only after this did she hold her child that she thought she lost.
There is so much we can learn (and apply to our Christian walk) from this historical woman in Old Testament scripture. Multiple times, she went to God first. She kept her son and herself as close to God as she could. In Old Testament times, the prophets were as close to God as anyone could get, so the Shunammite woman stayed near Elisha…. Brought him into her home, took her son’s body to his room, ran to him, fell to his feet with her grief, brought him back, and fell to his feet again with her gratitude.
The faith and trust of the Shunammite woman is indeed a great lesson for all of us. However, her desire to stay near God…. in her home, with her child, with herself, in good times and bad….. is an even greater lesson for us to learn and apply to our lives. When you stay near God, your faith and trust in Him grows, and you will be confident when you say “It is well!.”
