The Shunammite woman: Divine restoration

Imagine praying for a miracle for several years and then one day, you receive a prophetic word that your miracle is on the way and you will have it in a year's time. It might sound so surreal but if you surely receive that miracle your heart so desires, it will definitely increase your faith in God. Elisha the prophet of God was blessed by the Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:8-10) and Elisha declared to the woman that her single most important need would be met. True to the words of the prophet, "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 4:17). The Shunammite woman would have been so grateful, extremely excited and blessed by the arrival of her son. This blessing would have also increased her faith in God and her trust in the servant of God. She offered hospitality and she received her heartfelt prayer request.  Such a joy!

However, the devil had other plans. The scripture indicates that "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" (2 Kings 4:18‭-‬19). The boy complained of headaches and the father, knowing that headaches would not lead to death, sent the child to the mother for her attention. The father continued his work on the farm. The servant carried  the boy to his mother and the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died (2 Kings 4:20). The Shunammite woman might have been afraid, horrified and sad. What kind of headache can suddenly take the life of a child? Her child she received through prophecy was just gone as a result of a short headache. Instead of screaming, wailing and shouting her loss to the whole world, she exercised her faith. She knew that the God of Elisha who gives babies is also able to restore her dead son to life. 

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.” (2 Kings 4:27)

Without calling the professional mourners, "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” (2 Kings 4:21‭-‬22). By faith, she didn't disclose the bad news to her husband. When her husband asked for the reason for the visit,  she indicated that "It shall be well" (2 Kings 4:23b KJV). She placed her faith over her fear and worry. The Shunammite woman 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!" (2 Kings 4:24‭-‬25). Elisha was surprised to see her and the Lord hid from him the reason for the woman's visit (2 Kings 4: 27). Elisha told his servant to run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’ ”  and the Shunammite woman replied, “Everything is all right" (2 Kings 4:26). She had just left her dead son in the room she made for the prophet, but she kept replying that "It is well". The woman knew something about divine gifts and divine restoration. When she finally 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’?” (2 Kings 4:27‭-‬28). She never said, "my child is dead" but she said, "did I ask you for a son, my Lord?" She intentionally avoided using words that would jeopardize her faith. 

Elisha knew what to do. He sent His servant ahead with his staff to be placed on the boy's face. The Shunammite woman held on to Elisha and said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her (2 Kings 4:30). Elisha's servant, Gehazi ran ahead and laid the staff on the boy's face but there was no response and the boy didn't wake up, he reported to Elisha. 2 Kings 4:32-35 states this: "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." The dead boy was brought back to life. What a joy! 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 4:36‭-‬37). 

The Shunammite woman went out of her way to bless a man of God. She received an answer to her prayer. God gave her a son. When the son died, she went back to the man of God and through the power of God, the boy was brought back to life. The Shunammite woman received divine restoration. Her faith was over her fear. Even when all was not well, she kept professing that "it shall be well", "everything is well". She did not allow her pain to define her faith. In an act of extreme faith and total dependence on God, she had her dead son brought back to life. 

Many of us, just like the Shunammite, have hit rock bottom situations in life. Our faith has been smashed by trials, worries, pain and fear. We are just hanging on. But, God is still waiting on us to fully trust Him even at the lowest points in our lives. Whatever is dead can receive divine restoration only if we fully trust in God to bring divine restoration. May we put FAITH over FEAR.