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³² When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. ³³ He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord. 2 Kings 4

The Shunammite woman had travelled some twenty miles to Mount Carmel to bring Elisha to pray for her dead son. Gehazi had run ahead to touch the boy with Elisha’s staff but he hadn’t responded. Now, Elisha was alone with her son in the room where he’d stayed many times. I’m surmising a bit, but that room must have been filled with the prophet’s prayers and at times the very presence of the Lord Himself. The Shunammite had left her son in the one place in her house flooded with the presence of God. In times of crisis we need to seek the Lord’s presence and not just religious ritual.

³⁴ 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. ³⁵ 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. 2 Kings 4

There’s something very significant about close identification with those we’re trying to help. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission (CIM), eventually adopted Chinese dress and customs so that the people could relate with him more easily and eventually all the other missionaries in CIM followed him. This practice gave both the men and women of the mission great favour with the people they sought to serve and win to Christ.

John G Lake was praying and ministering to a woman dying of cancer and he’d left her room for a short time to freshen up. As he returned to her house he heard her crying out in pain and ran to comfort her. He embraced her body in his arms and cried out to God for mercy for her. The Lord heard their cries and the lady was spontaneously healed as he pleaded for her.

In the case of the Shunammite’s son, God also accepted the prayers of the prophet and no doubt the mother, for the life of her child. Elisha had to fully invest himself to save the child he’d prophesied would be born to her and an older husband.

May we always trust God that He is able to keep what He’s given to us, in Jesus Name. Hallelujah

²⁷ ‘So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.’ Numbers 6

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

⁹ For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him. (For those whose heart is completely His) 2 Chronicles 16 AMPC/AMP

The God of Heaven and Earth is looking for people to show Himself strong on behalf of, what a fantastic God we serve.

I was reading about one of the miracles of Elisha this morning, (Remember he asked for the DOUBLE PORTION OF ELIJAH’S ANOINTING), where God did just this for a poor widow and her two sons. The widow was in debt and had no way of repaying her husband’s creditor, who was coming to take her two sons as payment. She’d lost her husband and now she could lose her boys as well.

² Elisha replied to her, ‘How can I help you? TELL ME, WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR HOUSE?’

‘Your servant has nothing there at all,’ she said, ‘except a small jar of olive oil.’ 2 Kings 4

God asked Moses a very similar question when he first met him in the desert, ‘what’s in your hand Moses?’. Just my shepherd’s rod and for this lady, just some oil. The issue is not the little we have but what is God going to do with it! Moses’ rod eventually closed the Red Sea over Pharaoh and all his chariots, the end of a great army of the day.

Elisha told the woman what to do with her small jar of oil and the way her miracle would take place.

³ Elisha said, ‘Go round and ask all your neighbours for empty jars. DON’T ASK FOR JUST A FEW. ⁴ Then go inside and SHUT THE DOOR BEHIND YOU AND YOUR SONS. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.’

This woman had to step out in Faith, THE AMOUNT SHE ASKED FOR WOULD DETERMINE THE SIZE OF HER PROVISION! THE PROPHET TOLD HER NOT TO ASK SMALL BUT TO ASK FOR A LOT OF JARS and she followed his instructions. We can limit God’s provision by our small faith, but this lady must have asked everyone she could. The next step is interesting in light of her going from house to house pleading for empty jars.

⁵ She left him and SHUT THE DOOR BEHIND HER AND HER SONS. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. ⁶ When all the jars were full, she said to her son, ‘Bring me another one.’

But he replied, ‘There is not a jar left.’ THEN THE OIL STOPPED FLOWING.

The widow had to ask publicly for the jars (HER PART) and I’m sure people wanted to know why she needed them, but now the miracle Elisha pronounced happened behind closed doors. She’d done her part and now the oil multiplied before her and her sons, the ones who desperately needed the miracle – God showed Himself strong to those in need.

⁷ She went and told the man of God, and he said, ‘Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.’ 2 Kings 4

God’s supply would meet their future needs as well as paying off their debt. God wants to show Himself strong on your behalf today, take courage and ask Him for help in your crisis. He cares for you!

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

¹⁷ But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her. 2 Kings 4

GOD IS WILLING AND ABLE TO KEEP WHATEVER HE GIVES US! The enemy wants to rob us of God’s blessings in our lives and get us to blame God, but the Shunammite woman rose up to fight for her son’s life.

³⁵ While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. ‘Your daughter is dead,’ they said. ‘Why bother the teacher anymore?’

³⁶ Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’ Mark 5

Many years later Jesus encouraged Jairus, the synagogue ruler, not to give way to fear when he was told his daughter was dead.

²⁰ 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. ²¹ She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, THEN SHUT THE DOOR AND WENT OUT. 2 Kings 4

The Shunammite woman stared death in the face but rose up with urgency and set out to find Elisha, the prophet she knew so well. The relationships we build today may be the means of our deliverance in times of trouble; don’t leave it too late to find Jesus and walk with those who know Him.

The distance from Shunem to Mount Carmel was at least twenty miles and the last bit was uphill, but the woman never flagged until she found Elisha. She pushed through every obstacle to get to the one person who could help her, holding fast to her faith throughout.

²⁷ When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.”

²⁸ “Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?” 2 Kings 4

Elisha sent his servant to run ahead and touch the boy with his staff, but ‘the boy did not awaken’. The woman never told anyone what had happened her son and Elisha instructed Gehazi not to talk with anyone on the way, to just ignore anyone who spoke to him. Casual talk may often expose us to others’ lack of faith, better to keep some personal situations between us and the Lord.  Elisha came along behind with the mother and went into the room where the child lay. Jesus shut out the crowd when He went into the room with Jairus’ daughter and on both occasions the children were restored to their parents. Hallelujah

GOD IS WILLING AND ABLE TO KEEP WHATEVER HE GIVES US!

The same God who gives us blessings can restore them, don’t let the devil steal your blessings, rise up like the Shunammite and seek God for His answer.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

⁴¹ WHOEVER (Universal Promise given by the Lord Himself) WELCOMES A PROPHET WILL RECEIVE A PROPHET’S REWARD, AND WHOEVER WELCOMES A RIGHTEOUS PERSON WILL RECEIVE A RIGHTEOUS PERSON’S REWARD. Matthew 10

We were looking yesterday at how a wealthy Shunammite woman invited the prophet Elisha to stop at her home for something to eat and then, with her husband’s approval, she built the prophet a room on the roof of their house. This happened over a period of time and I felt that we need to use wisdom and be cautious about people we invite into our homes and lives.

The Shunammite woman had tapped into a Kingdom Principle that would later be confirmed by the Messiah Himself, ‘Blessing God’s servants releases the blessing of God into our own lives’. She blessed Elisha and his servant by meeting their temporal needs, food and lodging, but God’s blessings were to come back to her in different ways and the same may be true for us today.

²² The blessing of the Lord brings wealth,
    and He adds no trouble to it. Proverbs 10

Elisha decided it was time to repay this woman for her service to him and he called her to ask what he could do for her and although he offered to intercede for her with the king, she didn’t claim that right. Even though the prophet offered her something it wasn’t what she needed at the time. God has placed hidden desires in our hearts which we may not be aware of, but He can reveal them and bless in ways we never expected. Selah – pause and consider! What are the desires of our hearts and is it time for God to begin to reveal and answer these?

¹⁴ ‘What can be done for her?’ Elisha asked.

Gehazi said, ‘She has no son, and her husband is old.’

¹⁵ Then Elisha said, ‘Call her.’ So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. ¹⁶ ‘About this time next year,’ Elisha said, ‘you will hold a son in your arms.’

‘No, my lord!’ she objected. ‘Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!’ 2 Kings 4

The woman was shocked by the words of the prophet, she may have given up all hope of ever having a son, but all her kindness was about to be repaid by the birth of a boy. The prophet had spoken of something that was deep inside her and a blessing that she’d not dared to hope for soon came to pass. Sometimes faithfully serving the work of the Lord that comes to us can eventually result in great benefits in our own lives. The Shunammite continued to bless Elisha whenever he called at her home and the room she made was for him alone, no one else stayed there.

May the Lord bless you and give you the deepest longings of your heart today. Immanuel, God is with us.

The Shunammite’s son restored to life

⁸ One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he passed by, he stopped there to eat. (Stopover became a regular habit) 2 Kings 4 

Shunem can mean, two resting places, double supports. Seems a fitting name in this context.

The wealthy woman offered Elisha the hospitality of her home. She was in a position to bless the travelling prophet and she did. We should BE CAREFUL especially whom we invite into our homes and lives, because IT MAY OPEN US TO FUTURE INFLUENCES, WHETHER GOOD OR BAD. This is a simple and maybe very obvious statement, but I actually feel the weight of the Spirit as I’m writing this! So again, be careful to whom you open your house and your life.

⁹ She said to her husband, ‘I know that this man WHO OFTEN COMES OUR WAY IS A HOLY MAN OF GOD. ¹⁰ Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then HE CAN STAY THERE whenever he comes to us.’

No doubt the Lord’s Hand was in all of this, but the Shunammite lady had observed Elisha for some time before concluding that he was a genuine man of God. God’s people are always on view and open to judgment and there is wisdom in taking time to get to know people better before inviting them into closer relationships. Dare I say that this is wise even in the Church today. The Shunammite took time to observe and get to know this visitor to her home, even though he was the national prophet in Israel.

²⁶ The righteous choose their friends carefully, (are cautious in friendship)
    but the way of the wicked leads them astray. Proverbs 12

There’s a big difference between someone visiting our home and someone staying, or living, in it. When we allow the wrong people to become too familiar they may well seek to dominate and control our lives. It’s interesting that the Shunammite, though caring and kind, put Elisha up on the roof and not in the main part of the house. There was still a little distance between the man of God and the household and this may have suited both parties.

There was now AN OPEN DOOR to the prophet whenever he came that way and he determined when he would visit and stay. The woman and her husband may have felt honoured that the prophet Elisha came and stayed in their home and certainly future blessings would flow from this close relationship. In order for any close relationship to work there must be mutual honour and respect on both sides. One party cannot dominate the other, that’s only control and there’s a lot of it in this world and in the Body of Believers, so be cautious who you invite in.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

The Beatitudes

He said:

I was made aware last night of a tragic death within my family circle, so today I’m praying for God’s comfort for those most deeply affected by this sudden passing. It’s noteworthy that God puts on record His compassion and sympathy for those who have been bereaved, their pain is taken into account and not just quickly dismissed. God cares for those of His children who are suffering, the broken hearted among us. He promises to comfort us in our time of suffering, to help restore us and walk with us through life again. That’s a very distinct mark of His Kindness and Gentleness to His people.

In the song, Irish Heartbeat, by Van Morrison, a couple of lines repeated several times,

Cause the world is so cold
Don’t care nothing ’bout your soul
That you share with your own ones

Thanks to our God that He is so caring at times when people need understanding the most, so different from this, ‘cold, uncaring world’. May all those who mourn be surrounded by the Father’s love and compassion.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

¹¹ The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
    but the TENT of the upright WILL FLOURISH or THRIVE. Proverbs 14 

¹¹ The work of the wicked will perish; the WORK of the godly will FLOURISH. Proverbs 14:11 The Living Bible

God announces that the ‘house’ of the wicked will be destroyed. A house is much more solid and substantial than any ‘tent’, but God declares that He will bless the righteous and cause them to Flourish. I like that word Flourish, it’s a picture of blessing, vibrant health and abundance.

The Living Bible translates it, ‘the WORK of the godly will Flourish’. God blessed Abraham, the Father of the Faith’, in All Things. There wasn’t any area of Abraham’s life that didn’t exhibit the blessing of God. The people of the land of Canaan called Abraham a mighty Prince because God’s blessing rested upon him. God’s Blessing marked Abraham’s life, he stood out as someone carrying the Favour of the Lord on his life.

24 Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in every way or in everything. Genesis 24:1

I believe that we are going to see the Favour of God on His children as never before, people will be looking at us just like Abraham and asking what is the source of the blessing on our lives.

28 If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands that I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. ² All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: Deuteronomy 28

Deuteronomy 28:3-14 lists the Blessings that God is willing to pour out on His people when they walk in step with His will for their lives and they are mighty Blessings.

Derek Prince wrote a ‘Proclamation for God’s Protection’ and these are the words of the last paragraph;

“Finally, Lord, I thank You that the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, I have passed out from under the curse and entered into the blessing of Abraham whom You blessed in all things: exaltation, health, reproductiveness, prosperity, victory, God’s Favour and God’s Friendship. Amen”

I believe that a massive upgrade is coming to the children of God and also a severe downturn for those who have no place for God in their lives. We can begin to walk in His Favour in much greater measure as we declare His blessing upon our lives.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

⁶ Jonathan said to his YOUNG armour-bearer, ‘Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf. NOTHING CAN HINDER THE LORD FROM SAVING , WHETHER BY MANY OR BY FEW.’ 1 Samuel 14

Jonathan, son of King Saul, DECIDED to go over to the Philistine outpost at the Pass of Michmash. Saul was staying at the outskirts of Gibeah, but Jonathan DECIDED to go out to the enemy and face them. Then we have this powerful statement, ‘Nothing (absolutely nothing) can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by FEW’. God often looks for one or two faithful ones to do his bidding and open the way for many others into the victory. We should never be downcast by small numbers, God is well able to give us the victory we need.

It’s interesting that Jonathan chose his YOUNG armour-bearer to accompany him on his mission. The YOUNG are often more ready to step up and face risk and uncertainty because they carry less baggage than older people. Jonathan didn’t announce his intention to the whole camp and have a committee meeting about it. He told his young friend and they stepped out together, but Jonathan was looking for the Lord’s helping hand throughout their venture.

⁸ Jonathan said, ‘Come on, then; we will cross over towards them and let them see us. … ¹⁰ But if they say, “Come up to us,” we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has given them into our hands.’

¹² The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armour-bearer, ‘Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.’

So Jonathan said to his armour-bearer, ‘Climb up after me; THE LORD HAS GIVEN THEM INTO THE HAND OF ISRAEL.’ 1 Samuel 14

Jonathan wasn’t doing this to make a name for himself, for he said, ‘the Lord has given them to Israel’. One man of courage stepped out to face the enemy of his people and God was able to use his bravery and his young supporter to route the enemy. God needs bold people, people of faith in these days to step up against the enemy. He can still use them to achieve great victories and drive back the enemy in every area of society. God may be calling some of us to stand for Him in these days, age and status are no barrier to our God.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

¹ It is good to praise the Lord
    and make music to your name, O Most High,
² TO PROCLAIM YOUR LOVE IN THE MORNING
    AND YOUR FAITHFULNESS AT NIGHT, Psalm 92

The psalmist urges us to begin our day speaking to God of His Love – then we’ll be more likely to experience it and take His Love with us into our day – and to proclaim His Faithfulness at night. What has the Lord done for us during our day, perhaps small and unusual blessings and sometimes remarkable moments. Jesus healed the ten lepers, but commented that only one came back to give thanks and he was a foreigner. Luke 17 God appreciates our thanks for His many kindnesses and it’s good to bring closure to our day by remembering what He’s done for us. Amen

²¹ YET I CALL THIS TO MIND (REMIND MYSELF)
    AND THEREFORE I HAVE HOPE:

²² Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for HIS COMPASSIONS NEVER FAIL.
²³ THEY ARE NEW EVERY MORNING; (Hallelujah, God’s mercies are new each and every day)
    ‘GREAT’ IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS.
²⁴ I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.’ Lamentations 3

Even Jeremiah in the midst of terrible troubles in Jerusalem eventually returned to Praise God for His Compassion and His Faithfulness. Judah was about to be swept into exile and Jeremiah had warned them many times of the coming judgment, but in the midst of all that he begins to praise God for all His Goodness. Only believers serve the God who has revealed Himself as a loving Heavenly Father, who cares for small details in our lives as well as the large. Take some time and praise Him today for both, it will lift your spirits, no matter your situation.

(As an aside we declare the last verses from psalm 92 most days, verses 12-15, because we want these things to be activated in our lives)

May the Lord bless you and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.

 

⁴ After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, DO NOT SAY to yourself, “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, IT IS ON ACCOUNT OF THE WICKEDNESS of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you. ⁵ IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS OR YOUR INTEGRITY that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, Deuteronomy 9

The name Deuteronomy is derived from two Greek words ‘deutero’ meaning second and ‘nomos’ meaning law, the second giving of the law. All the adults (excluding Joshua and Caleb) who’d come out of Egypt had died in the desert and so the next generation had to be brought into covenant with God under the law for a second time. As we’ve seen before Christ rebuffed the devil in each of His temptations by quoting from the Book of Deuteronomy. There are many New Testament quotes from this Book, some scholars say eighty direct quotes, so it’s very significant.

The late David Pawson, in his teaching on Deuteronomy available on YouTube, gives an intriguing example of how God spoke to Winston Churchill through the above verses. Churchill had just been made First Lord of the Admiralty, chief of Britain’s shipping in WW 1, it was a momentous time for the nation. Apparently his ego had become inflated by this appointment. He was spending the night in a large country house with a Bible, perhaps a Gideon Bible, by the bedside. Churchill read these verses, where the Lord said it’s not because of your righteousness that I’m going to defeat Britain’s enemies, but because of their wickedness. He never forgot those verses and that may have been part of the reason God was able to use him to stand so mightily for freedom in two World Wars.

We too must keep this in mind when the Lord delivers us from the hands of the wicked in this present time.

Ascribe greatness to our God, the rock,
his work is perfect and all his ways are just.
Ascribe greatness to our God, the Rock,
his work is perfect and all his ways are just.
A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
good and upright is he.
A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
good and upright is he.

Deuteronomy chapter 32 is known as the Song of Moses, words from a well known modern chorus given above. (Deuteronomy 32:3,4) Moses was the third person still alive after leaving Egypt, but he would not cross over with them into the Promised Land. Before he died he sang these words to the Lord and later blessed the tribes, prophesying to each one in turn. (Simeon was not given a blessing by Moses, but did inherit with Judah in Canaan). It’s always good to worship the Lord, but it may be particularly important for us to remember His ‘Goodness and Faithfulness’ in our own day.

May the Lord bless and keep you today. Immanuel, God is with us.