WHAT FAITH BRINGS (PART 10)

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

Hebrews 11:21

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Today, we go over the half way mark of this 19 message series titled “What Faith Brings”, drawn from our close study of Hebrews, chapter 11 which could easily be called the Bible’s faith chapter.

In yesterday’s message, we revisited the Old Testament story of Isaac who was Abraham’s son, Rebekah, his wife, and their two twin sons, Esau and Jacob. In what was an interesting family dynamic grounded in deception and yet the outcome predicted by God, the younger son Jacob received both the birthright and more favorable blessing from his father while Esau, the eldest son, was left with a lesser blessing, albeit still one that ensured he would be great and renowned in his own right.

We know Jacob went onto father the sons who would form the foundational structure for the twelve tribes of Israel while Esau was the founder of his own nation, the nation of Edom and its people known as the Edomites.

As we see in today’s passage, we are moving forward and focusing on the later years of Jacob, who God would rename Israel. Look again at these words from verse 21:

By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

To see the foundational text for this verse written by the letter’s Christian author, we need to go back to the Book of Genesis, first looking at the 48th chapter:

Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.

When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, “Who are these?”

“They are the sons God has given me here,” Joseph said to his father.

Then Israel said, “Bring them to me so I may bless them.”

Now Israel’s eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them.

Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”

Then Joseph removed them from Israel’s knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.

Then he blessed Joseph and said, “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm —may He bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly on the earth.”

When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”

But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.” He blessed them that day and said, “In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’”

So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers. Genesis 48:1-2, 8-21

Here, we find Jacob/Israel blessing Joseph’s two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and in an interesting, ironic twist, he blesses the younger son, Ephraim, ahead of his older brother. We have no idea why Jacob/Israel did such a thing but we can only trust in faith that it happened just as God ordained it, just as it had been when he gained the birthright and greater blessing over his older brother, Esau.

So through faith, we have seen straight from the scriptures how Jacob/Israel blessed Joseph’s two sons despite the fact that he was in his last days. But what about his worshiping of God?

For that, we go to Genesis again, this time to the 47th chapter:

Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven. When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried.”

“I will do as you say,” he said.

“Swear to me,” he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. Genesis 47:28-31

As he drew near to death, here we find Jacob/Israel seeking reassurance from his son Joseph that his burial wishes would be carried out as he desired which meant that he wouldn’t be laid to rest in Egypt but rather with his fathers, Abraham and Isaac, who we know were buried in the cave of Machpelah which Abraham had purchased from Ephron the Hittite (Genesis 23-8-10). After Joseph swore an oath to do as Jacob/Israel wanted, the scriptures tell us that the ailing, aged father of the twelve sons who would form the twelve tribes worshiped God.

You see, through the story of Jacob we find that faith in God will bring us to a place where we want to bless others while devoting ourselves to God in worship, no matter where we are in our life journey, even in our dying days.

Who can you bless today as you bring your Lord all the glory, honor, and praise that He is worthy of?

Through faith and the Holy Spirit, the answer will become crystal clear if you allow it to.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

WHAT FAITH BRINGS (PART 9)

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.

Hebrews 11:20

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In yesterday’s message, we saw that faith will bring someone to pass the tests imposed by God. Specifically, we looked at two Old Testament examples of this, first examining the story of Job before going back in time to Genesis and the account of how Abraham remained obedient to God’s command to sacrifice his only son Isaac as a burnt offering right up to the point where he was going to put his son to the knife. At that moment, you’ll remember an angel of the Lord intervened and a ram was given as a substitutionary sacrifice.

A surviving Isaac would grow up and marry a woman named Rebekah with which he had twin sons named Esau and Jacob. You may remember that Isaac was born first but as Jacob emerged, he was grasping the heel of his brother (Genesis 25:24-26). The two boys would grow up and adopt different preferences in regard to what they liked to do. Esau became a skilled hunter while the scriptures tell us that Jacob “content to stay at home among the tents” (Genesis 25:27). Esau’s prowess at bringing home wild game garnered his father’s favor who delighted in eating such food. On the other hand, Rebekah favored Jacob and this would result in major complications within this family (Genesis 25:28) but not one that God had not predicted would happen (Genesis 25:23).

Those complications started when Esau had returned “from the open country” and was very hungry. Jacob had cooked some red stew and when Esau asked for some, Jacob placed a condition on the meal, demanding that Esau sell him his birthright first. Esau swore an oath that he would give up his birthright and in turn, Jacob gave him some stew and bread.

The relinquishing of the birthright was downright foolishness on Esau’s part. For as the older brother, he was entitled to be the first heir in line once Isaac passed away and would receive a double portion of whatever inheritance was passed down. Without consideration for giving up such a position of prominence, he instead made a bowl of stew a greater desire.

Later, the scriptures tell us that Isaac became very old and had lost his eyesight. Concerned that he would die soon, he asked Esau to go and hunt some wild game so he could eat it. In return, he would place his blessing on him. Despite selling his birthright, Esau still had a chance to get the blessing of his father.

Unfortunately for Esau, Rebekah heard what her husband wanted to do so she arranged a ruse, telling Jacob to bring her two goats so she could prepare a meal that Isaac enjoyed. And because Esau was very hairy, Rebekah put goatskins on Jacob’s hands and neck so when Isaac touched him, he would think it was Esau. Jacob took the food to his father and the deception worked just as Rebekah had hoped. Jacob lied to Isaac by telling him he was Esau (Genesis 27:5-27a) and Isaac blessed him with these words:

“Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed. May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness—an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.” Genesis 27:27-29

The primary blessing had been granted and the younger son had received it. His future was set.

What happened to Esau?

Well, as we read in our passage today, he was also blessed by his father Isaac in regard to his future, despite the fact that he and all his descendants would always be subordinate to Jacob and his. Here were the words of Isaac to his older son:

“Your dwelling will be away from the earth’s richness, away from the dew of heaven above. You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck.” Genesis 27:39-40

Esau would go on to be the progenitor of his own nation, the Edomites.

Jacob would go onto have 12 sons and after God changed his name to Israel, those 12 sons would represent the 12 tribes of Israel.

Through faith, both Jacob and Esau could have confidence in a blessed future. Despite how one gained more than the other, each benefited from their inheritance to where they were set for life.

We also gain a blessed future through our faith and belief in Jesus as Savior, a blessed future sealed by the gift of the Holy Spirit and the assurance of being co-heirs with Jesus for the very kingdom of God, His Father and ours. Through our faith in Jesus, we have a certain guarantee that the best life ever is yet to come, a life where we are made new, and set free from sin and the afflictions of this worldly existence.

Indeed, the very words of Jeremiah 29:11 come alive for all Christians:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

WHAT FAITH BRINGS (PART 8)

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

Hebrews 11:17-19

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

God will test those who are faithful to Him. It’s a truth the scriptures affirm.

For example, think about the story of Job. He was a man who was upright and obedient in the way he lived before God. In return, God blessed him with a family and great life filled with abundant blessings.

And yet, when Satan proposed to God that the only reason Job was faithful was because he was well off, adding that Job would change if he were made to suffer, God allowed Satan to test His servant. As we know, it wasn’t just some mild challenge. Job lost everything and was left afflicted with painful sores all over his body. Yet despite the physical and mental anguish, Job remained true to God, even when he didn’t understand why he was going through such incredible hardship. In the end, we know that God rewarded Job by restoring him, not just to where he was but well beyond that.

Through faith, Job passed his test and we can learn a lot from his story. This is what makes the book that bears his name such a valuable part of the Old Testament scriptures.

As we turn to today’s passage and our continuing study of what I like to refer to as the faith chapter, Hebrews 11, we find another example of amazing faith that preceded Job. Look again at these words from verses 17 through 19:

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

You’ll recall that a couple of messages ago we looked at the improbable conception and pregnancy of Sarah through her sexual relation with her husband Abraham. Both were so advanced in years that no one, including themselves, believed it could happen, even when God pronounced it would.

We know God never breaks His promises and He had assured Abraham that his offspring would be more numerous than the stars in the night sky. Before that could happen, Abraham needed a child and God delivered that child in the way of a son named Isaac.

A deep blessing had come from God to Abraham and Sarah but then we read that a heart-wrenching test followed. For God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only son as a burnt offering, an order that Abraham never once questioned. Instead, he took Isaac to the place on the mountain designated by God and there built an altar where he first placed the wood to burn and then laid a bound Isaac on the wood. Drawing a knife, Abraham was ready to carry out the sacrifice when an angel of the Lord intervened, demanding that Abraham not lay a hand on his son. God had seen the depth of his servant’s faith and it ran so deep that he was willing to give up his only son so to remain obedient to his Lord (Genesis 22:1-18). And as we see in today’s passage, part of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son was because he “reasoned that God could even raise the dead”. It was that astounding faith that led to Isaac being spared at the last minute, sparing Abraham the anguish of killing him.

Now, our testing from God may never reach the levels of Job or Abraham but rest assured they will come in some form or fashion. I don’t know about you but I pray that when that time comes, my faith will bring me the ability to pass the tests that God imposes. Through His strength, I am confident I (and we) can do just that.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

WHAT FAITH BRINGS (PART 7)

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Hebrews 11:13-16

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

When a Christian believer holds onto faith, they gain blessings from their steadfast trust in the God who can do all things. That is the truth contained within this 19 message series titled “What Faith Brings” as we glean wonderful assurances from the words found in Hebrews, chapter 11. Here’s what we have learned about what we get from faith through the first six messages:

1. We believe that all things were spoken into being by God just as the Bible depicts.

2. We acknowledge God for His greatness and majesty, bringing Him our absolute best just as He gives us His.

3. We are loyal and devoted to God in the way we live as we walk alongside Him day by day.

4. We feel a holy fear that drives us to do what God commands.

5. We go and do what God wants us to do, wherever He calls us to go.

6. Miracles happen in the lives of those who hold onto their faith in God.

Now, that would maybe be enough on its own right but we still have thirteen messages left, thirteen more things to learn beginning with today’s seventh installment. Look at these words from this wonderful faith chapter of the Bible.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:13-16

How can believers surrender the things of the world while living this earthly existence and place their full trust in God?

Because through their steadfast faith, they come to understand that this world is not their home.

When we looked at Abraham, we read these words:

“...he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Hebrews 11:10

And then in today’s passage, we read:

“...they were foreigners and strangers on earth... they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one...God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”

The God of Abraham and those who followed his lead of faith afterwards is the same God we keep faith in today. And we are no less foreigners and strangers on earth than they were.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

As soon as believers today place their belief in Jesus through faith, they are saved and gain the blessed assurance of inheriting a better, heavenly country, living in the city God has prepared for them which we know from the Book of Revelation is the New Jerusalem (21:1-2). They are guaranteed to be co-heirs with Jesus to the very Kingdom of Heaven and are formally recognized as children of God (Romans 8:14-17).

Because of faith and belief in Christ, God’s promise of eternal life after this temporary life ends becomes an amazingly, wonderful reality, and brings the truth that nothing we will experience in this temporary existence will ever compare with the incredible glory and blessedness ahead.

And so no matter what this worldly life brings, the best is yet to come. Let us rejoice and be glad in this hope that can never be taken away.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

WHAT FAITH BRINGS (PART 6)

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered Him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

Women received back their dead, raised to life again.

Hebrews 11:11-12, 35a

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

When a Christian believer exercises steadfast faith in the God through which all things are possible, amazing things can happen.

Miraculous things.

Consider the account of Abraham (Abram) and Sarah (Sarai) in the Old Testament. When Abraham was called by God to leave his home and land in Haran and travel to a place only God knew about, and Abraham responded in complete obedience, the scriptures tell us this about the prospect of any childbirth happening:

Now Sarai was childless because she was not able to conceive. Genesis 11:30

And yet, God promised Abraham that if he did as he was commanded, then he would “make (him) into a great nation” and would “bless (him)”. He further vowed to make Abraham’s “name great” and make him “a blessing” (Genesis 12:1-3). He finally added that the child who would be Abraham’s heir would be a son from his own flesh and that the total sum of all his offspring would rival the stars in the sky (Genesis 12:4-5) Despite the improbability of it all, God assured Abraham that he and Sarah would have a child together and Abraham believed God, a faith that was “credited to him as righteousness” Genesis 12:6).

With this, we know that this is what occurred, even despite Abraham and Sarah trying to make it come to be on different terms. You’ll remember Sarah giving Abraham her maidservant Hagar and they bore a son who was named Ishmael but he was not the heir God intended (Genesis 16). The heir would be a son born by Sarah and his name was Isaac (Genesis 17:19, 21:1-7). In miraculous fashion, the faith of Abraham and Sarah coupled with their obedience to go and do as God commanded, resulted in the impossible becoming possible.

Later in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, we read where faith led to other miracles in the Old Testament, specifically the resurrection of the dead to women. Going to the scriptures, we find two such accounts.

First, there was the son of a widow who lived in Zarephath. Here’s the account in 1 Kings, chapter 17:

Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the Lord came to him (Elijah):

“Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.”

So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”

“As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”

Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’”

She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”

“Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. Then he cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the Lord, “Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!”

The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!”

Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.” 1 Kings 17:7-24

Here we find the Lord revealing himself in miraculous ways twice.

First, the widow experience constantly replenished jars of flour and oil, ever providing food for her and her son. Elijah made sure she knew that the miracle was coming from the Lord because no mere human being could hold such incredible power.

We read where the Lord then sent resurrecting power to bring the widow’s son back from the dead after Elijah called on Him to act.

Did I mention that miracles happen when a person holds onto faith in the God who can do all things?

Moving to 2 Kings, the fourth chapter, we find yet another moment where God put His miraculous, death defying might on full display. Look at the account of the Shunammite and her son.

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 came by, he stopped there to eat. She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 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.”

One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him. Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’”

She replied, “I have a home among my own people.”

“What can be done for her?” Elisha asked.

Gehazi said, “She has no son, and her husband is old.”

Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. “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!”

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.

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 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.”

“Why go to him today?” he asked. “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. 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.”

“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, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. Don’t greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. 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 he 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 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. 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. 2 Kings 4:8-37

Here we read about Elijah’s successor, the prophet Elisha. He has an encounter with a Shunammite woman and her husband who recognized Elisha as a “holy man of God” and provided special hospitality by making a room for the prophet to use when he would visit Shumen.

Appreciative of their generosity, Elisha decided to bless her in a special way. The scriptures tell us that her husband was old and so she was unable to bear children but Elisha, invoking the miraculous power of God, promised that the woman would have a son in her arms within a year’s time...and that’s exactly what happened.

It was a great gift from God for the woman and her husband but tragedy struck when the boy experienced severe head pain before being taken from the fields to his mother where he died in her arms.

Distraught with grief, the woman quickly traveled to Mount Carmel to confront Elisha over what had happened. She was in utter disbelief that such a blessing could be given her by God only to be cruelly taken away in such horrific fashion.

Hearing the news, Elisha went to the woman’s home and in a very similar way to Elijah (lying stretched out on the boy), God resurrected the son back to life. Faith had once again led to a miraculous work.

Friends, today our Lord continues to do amazing things each and every day for Christian believers who maintain a steadfast faith in Him, despite the circumstances and odds. Like Abraham and Sarah, the widow of Zarephath, and the Shunammite woman, God rewards those who trust Him and His ability to do anything He wills to do.

Faith can bring miracles. We need to always remember this.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.