Saturday after the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:8-22, 32-37 (NKJV)

8 Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food. 9 And she said to her husband, “Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. 10 Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.”

11 And it happened one day that he came there, and he turned in to the upper room and lay down there. 12 Then he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite woman.” When he had called her, she stood before him. 13 And he said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?'” She answered, “I dwell among my own people.” 14 So he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old.” 15 So he said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the doorway. 16 Then he said, “About this time next year you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant!” 17 But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.

18 And the child grew. Now it happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers. 19 And he said to his father, “My head, my head!” So he said to a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. 21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out. 22 Then she called to her husband, and said, “Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and come back.”

32 When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed. 33 He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD. 34 And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm. 35 He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36 And he called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite woman.” So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” 37 So she went in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; then she picked up her son and went out.

Devotion

Today we read of the love and compassion a person has for a servant of God who is faithful to his calling. A woman from Shunam provided for Elisha a place to stay and food to eat when he was in the area. When asked what he could do in return, she complained of having no sons. Elisha foretells of a new child to arrive one year later. He is born, but then dies a short time later. The woman returns to Elisha for his life to be restored.

Here we have one of the more beautiful stories of a person who has received the gift of faith. This woman loves freely, and then in the midst of heartache and disappointment does not go off and lose hope, but continues to trust in the power of God through the Lord’s chosen prophet and servant to restore life.

Similarly, this is God’s will for His children who are given faith through His powerful Word, preached in all its truth and purity. However, that instruction in the faith must continue so each person is strengthened to deal with life’s heartaches and disappointments, always being ready to return to hear God’s powerful Word of peace and hope.

We pray: To God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit, Three in One, shall glory, praise and honor be now and throughout eternity. Amen. (TLH 5:3)