THE NEW EWE

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'"

Luke 15:4-6

January 20, 2021

LIFE IN THE FOLD:

I'm writing from II Kings again this week. In chapter 4 we read this story about Elisha and the Shunammite woman. This devotional will actually be written in two parts, with the conclusion next week.

There was a prominent women who lived in Shunem, and whenever Elisha passed through that area, he would stop and share a meal with this woman and her husband. The woman (her name is never given) told her husband, "I realize that this man who often passes through is a holy man of God. Please, let's make a little walled room on the roof for him. We can put a bed, table, chair, and lampstand inside the room, then whenever Elisha comes to us, he can stay here." So that's what they did.

One day when Elisha was staying there, he called his servant, Gehazi, to him and instructed him to go get the Shunammite woman for him. He called to her and she came and stood before Elisha.

I'm not sure why, but instead of speaking directly to the woman himself (I originally thought that perhaps there was a custom against this, but later Elisha speaks to her), he told his servant what to say to her. He said, "Tell her: 'Behold, you have gone to all this trouble for us. What can we do for you? Can something be communicated to the king or to the commander of the army for you?"

The woman responded that she lived among her own people. There were no favors that she needed from the king or army commander. Apparently, she then stepped outside the room.

Elisha asked his servant, "Then what should be done for her? Gehazi answered, "In fact, she has no son, and her husband is old." He then instructed Gehazi to call her back into the room and she stood in the doorway. Elisha told her, "At this season next year, you will be embracing a son." Her reply was, "No, do not lie to your handmaid, man of God."

I'm sure this woman had longed for a child and Elisha's message that she would actually conceive and bear a child was too much to hope for. She didn't want to get her hopes up, then it not happen.

Many of us do this same thing. We receive a promise from God, but then are so afraid to believe that it will actually happen and are fearful that we will get our hopes built up, then it won't come to pass and we will be disappointed.

Nevertheless, the woman conceived and bore a son during that season the following year, just as Elisha had told her.

I'm not sure how many years passed by, but the child grew and one day he went out to his father, who was out among the reapers. He said to his father, "My head, my head!" The father ordered his servant to carry the boy home to his mother.

The servant obeyed, and the child sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.

She placed the child upon Elisha's bed, shut the door and went out. She called to her husband and said, "Please send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys that I may run to the man of God and then come back. He asked why she was going, and her response was, "It will be well."

Elisha was on Mount Carmel and saw the woman coming to him in the distance. He sent his servant to her to ask if it was well with her and her family. She answered, "It is well." But she continued on her way to the mountain until she reached Elisha, then fell down and grabbed onto his feet. Gehazi stepped forward to push her away, but Elisha said, "Leave her alone, for her soul is bitter within her, yet the Lord has hid it from me and has not told me why."

"Did I ask you for a son? Didn't I say, 'Don't deceive me'?" the woman asked Elisha.

Elisha told his servant to take his staff, don't greet anyone on the way, and go lay his staff on the face of the child.

But the child's mother said, "As the Lord lives and as you live, I won't leave you!" So Elisha arose and went with her to her home. Gehazi went ahead of them and laid Elisha's staff on the boys face, yet nothing happened.

Elisha went up to his rooftop room, where the child was laying, and closed the door behind him and prayed to God. Then he got up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on the boys mouth and his eyes on the boys eyes and his hands and the boys hands, and stretched himself upon the child. The flesh of the boy became warm.

Then he got up and and walked to and fro, then got up on the bed and stretched himself on the child one more time. The boy sneezed seven times, then opened his eyes.

He had Gehazi to call to the mother. When she came into the room, Elisha said, "Pick up your son."

She came, fell at his feet and bowed down to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out.

The first thing I see in this story is a woman's desire to honor a man of God. She recognized him as being a holy man and wanted to do something to make his life more comfortable. It wasn't enough that she offered him a meal whenever he passed that way, but she desired to fix him his own room, so that he could be comfortable and rest while there.

Some may be asked, by God, to offer hospitality to those whom God has anointed and called. He may place within them a desire to offer meals and a special room to evangelists or missionaries. That is awesome! God will bless the obedience of those who respond and offer hospitality to those individuals and/or families.

There are those whom God will not ask them to open up their homes. It may be lack of room or finances or health issues or other various reasons. But we are all called to honor those involved in ministries and to show them respect.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 says, "Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to recognize those who work hard among you and are over you in the Lord and correct you, and to esteem them beyond all measure in love because of their work. Keep peace among yourselves."

In our society, there is often a lack of respect and honor for those whom the Lord has placed in ministerial positions. Those people are often criticized, judged, and disrespected. But God tells us to recognize them and esteem them beyond all measure in love. We can use this woman's example of honoring the man of God and doing something to make his life a little more comfortable when he was in her hometown. She didn't do it for her own benefit or thinking she might get something out of the deal. She had no idea that Elisha would call her to him and ask what he could do in return for her; and she sure didn't expect to become pregnant and have a son! She did it out of love and respect for the man of God. That needs to be our motivating factor when we show honor and respect to God's anointed -- we do it out of love and obedience.

God gave this woman a desire of her heart; something that she thought was impossible. Everything was wonderful for several years; then the boy suddenly died.

How do we respond when God does something that seems absolutely impossible for us and gives us a desire of our heart? Do we rejoice and recognize it as a gift from God or do we take it from granted or with an attitude that we somehow deserve every single blessing we receive? We need to always look to God as our benefactor and give Him thanks and praise for every good gift that we receive from Him. We recognize that we don't receive blessings because of our own goodness or because we are deserving, but because God loves us and enjoys taking care of His children and giving them good things.

But then when it seems that the promise is taken from us or dies, what is our response? Do we allow bitterness to immediately fill our hearts and blame God? Do we become angry and think, "I wish God hadn't even given this to me! How dare He give this to me, only to take it away!" Is prayer our first response or is fear and anger?

The woman immediately laid the child on Elisha's bed, closed the door, then told her husband that she was going to go get the man of God and would be back. He asked why, and her response was faith-filled: "It will be well."

She was determined not to accept a servant to come as an alternative to the man of God. She was like, "No way! I'm not leaving here without you!" She had likely listened to Elisha's stories, knew his life, knew that He was God's anointed and prophet and she was unwilling to accept anyone else. She had a history with Elisha and knew his life and had heard and seen how the Lord had used him. She trusted his relationship with God.

When bad things happen we can respond with many negative emotions and allow the circumstances to become bigger than God. Or we can choose to speak in faith and say, "It will be well!"

It is often easy to accept an alternative to what we know to be trustworthy, what we know to be true, and what we have seen to be reliable. When we are contented with second best, with alternatives, and fail to persevere and say, "No! I'm not letting go or willing to accept anything other than You, God, and what Your plan and way is! I'm not willing to accept anyone or anything other than You!"

Elisha called upon the Lord. After the first time of stretching himself upon the boy, life wasn't fully restored. The boy grew warm, but he wasn't fully alive. Elisha didn't say, "Oh well, let's give him a few days and see what happens. Maybe he will wake up later, then we'll see if he's going to be okay or if there are any adverse affects of him being dead for those hours."

Elisha kept praying and calling upon the Lord. Then he stretched himself upon the boy once again. That time the boy sneezed seven times and then opened his eyes. Life was fully restored to this young boy.

Let's not be satisfied with just a little or a partial blessing or miracle, when God wants us to have faith for the whole. Don't give up, don't lose faith, and speak over your situation, "It will be well!"

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

To me, about the coolest part of the story above is that Elisha prayed, didn't get an immediate response, then prayed again with just as much faith. It takes faith to pray for a miracle, especially one that completely defies nature. But to see a prayer not get answered right away, and pray again... Now that takes huge faith.

We've lost a brother-in-law and a cousin to cancer. Hundreds of us were praying for both, fully expecting a miracle. We prayed again and again for both. Honestly, both times were big strains on my faith. I don't understand why God didn't heal both of them. But I do have faith He knows, and never once took it lightly. I have faith that heaven is so much more wonderful than this world that each of us will wonder why any of us fought to stay here.

And I still have faith that He will heal someone else, so I plan to keep praying.

ON THE MENEWE:

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Boil chicken in large pot (water should cover just over top of chicken); add salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken from pot and debone; shred. Add chicken back to pot. Add soups and seasonings, to taste.

If desired, add chicken broth. It depends on how "soupy" you want it, on whether or not you add the broth.

Bring to light boil and add noodles or dumplings; cook until tender. Serve.

** Note: Sometimes it's not necessary to add the chicken broth, so use your own discretion. It all depends on how "soupy" you want it. Everyone who makes this has adjusted the recipe to their own taste. No matter who makes it, it comes out great!

Also, if you use rotisserie chicken, instead of boiling raw chicken breasts to cook, you will need to use broth for your liquid.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

My two oldest nephews, Greg and Brian, had some "adventures" as boys. The brothers are only a little over 10 months apart in age, so were always into something. Greg was generally the instigator and could talk Brian into trying things. When Mama was sick they lived close by and were around 7 and 8 years old at that time. They found an old metal barrel and Greg talked Brian into getting inside and letting him roll him down the hill. That was fun until the barrel rolled under an electric fence, which was turned on. Brian got quite a shock there for a split second as the barrel hit the fence; then it kept on rolling. Too late, Greg saw the barrel spark as it ran under the fence. Afterwards he and Brian came up to the house and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. They thought it was funny, but it had scared them a little, too.

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

Speak in such a way that others love to listen to you.

Listen in such a way that others love to speak to you. - Zig Ziglar

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org