It is Well
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 said to 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."
. . . 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! Please run now to meet her, and say to her, 'Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?' "
And she answered, "It is well." Now when she came to the man of God . . . she caught him by the feet . . . she said, "Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say, 'Do not deceive me'?"
Then he said to Gehazi, "Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child." And the mother of the child said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So he arose and followed her.
. . . 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. 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. . . . The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, "Call the Shunammite." . . . She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out. 2 Kings 4:18-37 (NIV, NKJV)
. . . 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! Please run now to meet her, and say to her, 'Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?' "
And she answered, "It is well." Now when she came to the man of God . . . she caught him by the feet . . . she said, "Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say, 'Do not deceive me'?"
Then he said to Gehazi, "Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child." And the mother of the child said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So he arose and followed her.
. . . 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. 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. . . . The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, "Call the Shunammite." . . . She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out. 2 Kings 4:18-37 (NIV, NKJV)
"Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with your son?" "It is well!" That was the response the Shunammite woman gave to Elisha's servant even though all was not well and her only son had just died! What in the world could cause her to be so composed and resolute even though her world had just become unravelled? Why was she claiming that it was well? Was she living in delusion? Was she out of her mind? Absolutely not.
I believe the Shunammite woman was looking past the calamity she had just left at home to the opportunity to see the manifestation of the power of the God who gave her hope, when she had no hope of ever bearing a son, by making her womb fruitful. I believe she was confident that the same God who used Elisha to prophesy the birth of her son could also use him to raise him back to life. So, as far as she was concerned, all was well. Just as she believed, Elisha followed her home and raised the son back to life. With God, all things are possible.
Question: What if you and I had the same resolute faith in God and believed that in spite of the terrible news or experience we may have just gone through, it is still well? What if we dared to believe that it is well because God is in total control and God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ever ask or think according to His power that is at work in us?
This week, I received some rather unpleasant news that gives me very little reaction time to rectify what could potentially be a rather disruptive situation. I responded with a lot of calm and simply said to the Lord, "This is your call. I am looking completely to you." Deep within me, I had total peace because I could truly say, "It is well." Do I really know how things are going to turn out? Not really, but I know the happenings did not take God by surprise so I can confidently rest in the assurance that He has it all under control so it is well. My heart is totally at peace!
Child of God, don't panic because it is well!
I believe the Shunammite woman was looking past the calamity she had just left at home to the opportunity to see the manifestation of the power of the God who gave her hope, when she had no hope of ever bearing a son, by making her womb fruitful. I believe she was confident that the same God who used Elisha to prophesy the birth of her son could also use him to raise him back to life. So, as far as she was concerned, all was well. Just as she believed, Elisha followed her home and raised the son back to life. With God, all things are possible.
Question: What if you and I had the same resolute faith in God and believed that in spite of the terrible news or experience we may have just gone through, it is still well? What if we dared to believe that it is well because God is in total control and God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ever ask or think according to His power that is at work in us?
This week, I received some rather unpleasant news that gives me very little reaction time to rectify what could potentially be a rather disruptive situation. I responded with a lot of calm and simply said to the Lord, "This is your call. I am looking completely to you." Deep within me, I had total peace because I could truly say, "It is well." Do I really know how things are going to turn out? Not really, but I know the happenings did not take God by surprise so I can confidently rest in the assurance that He has it all under control so it is well. My heart is totally at peace!
Child of God, don't panic because it is well!
Prayer: Father, the admonition of Scripture is that the just shall live by faith. Help me to live by faith so that I can always say, "It is well" even when things seem to be falling apart and the center seems not to hold. It is well because it is all in your hands. Amen.