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 27, 2021

LIFE IN THE FOLD:

If you have not yet read last week's newsletter, please do so, because it is a preface to this weeks devotional.

As a really short recap, there was a prominent woman who lived in Shunem. Whenever Elisha passed through, he would stop for a meal; so the woman and her husband made him a little walled room on the rooftop, so he would have a place to stay when in town.

Elisha asked what he could do for her in return, and his attendant said that she has no son, and her husband is old. He told her that by that time next year, she would have a son. That happened!

The child grew and one day went to his father, saying, "My head, my head!" The father had a servant take the child to his mother, who held him on her lap until noon, then he died.

She place her son on Elisha's bed and closed the door, then went to where Elisha was to bring him back to her home with him. He came, prayed a couple times, and the child came back to life.

Let's go to chapter 8 and we find this same Shunammite woman once again.

The chapter begins by saying that Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life saying, "Arise and go with your household, and stay wherever you can stay, because the Lord has called for a famine -- indeed it has already come -- on the land for seven years."

This was a woman who had faithfully provided meals and a room on her rooftop for Elisha and his attendant, Gehazi, for many years; expecting nothing back in return. God had blessed her with a son, due to her showing hospitality to His prophet; then had later raised her son back to life, after he had died, as a child. I'm sure she felt like that was more than she deserved for opening her home up to Elisha and Gehazi. She wasn't doing it for what she could get, but because it was in her heart to show kindness to the man of God.

Yet when the famine came, Elisha went to her home and told her that she and her household needed to go stay elsewhere for the next seven years until the famine ended. She didn't argue with him, make excuses on why she should stay in her own home, or ask why God couldn't provide for her where she was at. After all, in the story of Elijah and the widow woman, God kept her jug of oil and barrel of flour from running out during a time of famine. Yet God had a different plan for this woman and her household. It doesn't mention her husband, so I'm not sure if he was still living or not, because he was old when his son was born several years prior to this.

The woman got up and did according to the word of the man of God. She and her household went and stayed in the land of the Philistines for seven years.

At the end of those seven years, the woman returned back to her home in Shunem. It seems as if her house and farm had been taken over by either the king or someone during her absence. So this woman goes directly to the king to appeal for her house and farm.

When she arrived, it just so happened that the king was speaking with Gehazi, the servant of Elisha. The king said, "Please tell me all the great things that Elisha has done."

Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had revived someone who was dead, behold, there was that very woman standing there. So Gehazi said, "My lord the king, this is the woman and this is her son whom Elisha revived." When the king asked the woman about it, she told him the story.

Afterwards the king assigned to her a court official, saying, "Restore all that was hers, and all the revenue of the field since the day that she left the land until now."

Could God have protected this woman and her household, taking care of them and providing for them there in Shunam? Absolutely -- had that been His plan! But God had a different plan for her. She chose to obey that plan, which was given to her through the prophet, Elisha, and leave her home and live in Philistine for seven years. When she returned, she didn't cry and whine and complain about not having her home and farm. She went to the king to appeal to him for restoration of what belonged to her. God,once again, timed everything according to His plan, so that she arrived at the time Gehazi was speaking with the king, and she verified that what he was telling the king about Elisha, was in fact the truth. I'm sure seeing the evidence of the son standing before him, and hearing the story told from the mother's lips, had more impact on the king than hearing it second hand from Elisha's servant.

Sometimes God's plan doesn't look anything like what we were expecting. And sometimes we don't like what we're told to do, because it upsets our routine and breaks us out of our comfort zone. We want God to take care of us and answer our prayer, but want Him to come to us and do it in a way where we can remain where we are and stay comfortable.

Joseph and Mary's world was never the same again, after saying, "Yes," to being the earthly parents to God's Son. You'd think that God would have placed them in a life of ease and set them up in a comfortable home and met every need, in exchange for their obedience and willingness to parent Jesus. But that's not what happened!

After the visit from the magi, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the Child, to kill Him."

So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother during the night, and went to Egypt. They lived there until Herod's death.

Whew! Finally, they could go back home to their families. But no! Another angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in another dream and said, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those seeking the Child's life are dead." They did go to Israel. But upon hearing that Herod's son was the king of Judea, Joseph became afraid to go there. He was warned, in yet another dream, he withdrew and took his family to Galilee. Joseph settled his family in a city called Nazareth. Was this an accident? No. Scripture says that this was "to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, that Jesus shall be called a Nazarite."

God's plans for us may not always look like we want it to. It may push us out of our comfort zone and lead us to places we didn't want to go. We can argue, cry, beg and plead, and try to reason with God in order to get Him to change His mind and allow us to stay in our comfort zone. We like it when He comes to us to answer our prayer and meet our need and provide for us, without us having to get up and do something to fulfill another plan that He has laid out for us. But God's ways are always right and perfect and what is best for each of us!

Let's learn quick obedience to God, trusting that whatever He asks us to do and wherever He leads us to go, is for a purpose and part of His plan for us.

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

The last half of 2 Peter 3:9 says that the Lord is "not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." It would be awesome if that was all our (as a nation and world) desire, too.

I am convinced that if all people everywhere would seek God and repentance, there would be no disease. If all Shunem were repentant, I expect the woman who supported Elisha would not have needed to leave, and her king would not have needed a witness. If Herod were repentant, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus would not have needed to move.

I know many people will think I'm off track by saying this, but God's will isn't always acted out exactly right. If it were, then none would perish and all would reach repentance. But God is able to create a way through and a way out. With Jesus, we have a finish line we can count on. Regardless of what is thrown in our way, we will make it.

ON THE MENEWE:

Country Chicken and Gravy

Combine soup and water/broth in 9x13 baking dish.

Place Shake & Bake and parmesan cheese in a large Ziplock bag.

Cut chicken into smaller chunks and toss in mixture, shaking to coat.

Lay coated chicken in soup mixture in single layer.

Bake at 400 for 40 minutes or until tender.

The soup will make a delicious gravy for mashed potatoes or just for the chicken.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

Sometimes you see those things that make you wonder, "Hmm.... I wonder what they were thinking?!"

Jon and I were driving down the street a few years ago and there was a mid-sized car that had a couch on top of it that was turned upside down, cock-eyed at an angle so the driver could see out the window right of him.... and yes, the car was moving down a busy street! The couch was not tied or strapped onto the car. The only person inside the car was the driver. He had one hand outside the sun roof holding onto the couch -- and that was the only thing holding it onto the top of the car. This was a full-sized couch! He apparently just threw the couch on top of the car and took off.

Several years ago, I rode along with Janie (my sister), who had to drive 2 hours each way to do a 1-hour job, to keep her company. We stopped at a convenience store to use the restroom. The ladies restroom was designed so only one person could use it at a time. Janie used it first and when she came out she was laughing and commented, "Hmm... that was interesting!" I walked in next and looked around..... there was one toilet but two sinks sitting side by side!

On the other hand, several years ago my sister and brother-in-law pastored a church where the women's bathroom had two toilets sitting side by side -- no stalls or barrier or wall between them. It was one room where you walk in and lock the door and there were those two side-by-side toilets.... with one sink.

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

God is in the journey, not just the destination. - Shawn Bolz

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org