A MIRACLE RESURRECTED

Elisha, the prophet of God, visits Shunem. Here he meets a 'notable' woman - a farmer's wife. We do not know her name, or her husband's name for that matter. We do know that she was childless, her husband was old and she was a caring woman, seemingly satisfied in her marriage and circumstances.

She made a point of persuading the man of God to partake of their food, their home and even persuaded her husband to build a special room for the sole use of the man of God. She must have loved God to go to such extremes for one of His servants - or thismay have been her way of dealing with the fact that she had no child on whom to pour out her love and care.

In turn, Elisha prophesied over her the birth of a son within a year, which prophesy, in due course, came to pass.

When this child was old enough to join his father in the fields, he suddenly fell ill one day and was carried home, where his mother held him in her lap until he died. Then anxious, and in great haste, she sets off to find the man of God, without even telling her husband that their child had died.

         "Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, "Drive, and go forward; do not
         slacken the pace for me unless I tell you." and so she departed and went to the man
         of God at Mount Carmel..." 2 Kings 4:24-25

I wonder why she never told her husband of their son's death? I wonder whether her husband was a believer in the God of Elisha or whether he, out of love for his wife, just pandered to her obvious need to care for the prophet? Was she perhaps fearful that the news of the child's death would be too much for her 'old' husband and that he would die of shock? Was she afraid that her husband would ridicule her belief that this child was from God since he had now died?

She faced Elisha and voiced her grief and grievance to him, vowing not to return to her home without him.

He had prophesied the child into being, he was to provide the solution to her grief and distress.

Of course, the rest is history. The child was resurrected and restored to life and health before her husband even came home from the fields that day!

            "And the mother of the child said: "As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will
             not leave you." So he arose and followed her... He went in therefore, shut the door
             behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord. And he went up and lay on the child,
             and put his mouth on his mouth, his etyes 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...
             Then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes... So she went in,
             fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; then she picked up her son and went out."
             2 Kings 4:30,33-34,35,36

A miracle resurrected!

I remember a lady in our congregatrion, some years ago, whose husband was not a believer. Our congregation was planning a special communal meal one weekend and she had promised a contribution of meatballs towards the meal.

She placed an order for the mincemeat at the butcher's, at the same time ordering a leg of lamb to prepare for her own family to enjoy at the roadside, as they would be away from home the same weekend.

When she received the meat from the butcher, she noticed from the invoice that the butcher had not charged her for the leg of lamb. She immediately telephoned him and drew his attention to his error. Of course, the butcher was very appreciative of her honesty, a leg of lamb not being the cheapest cut of meat, but her husband was, to say the least, less appreciative and insisted that she should hve left well alone and that nobody would have been the wiser.

Her response was that she would have known and God would have been the wiser...

Because they would be away for the weekend, she telephoned me and we arranged that she would deliver the meatballs to my house on the Friday on their way out of town.

Friday duly arrived, the meatballs were safely installed in my refrigerator and off they went for their weekend.

When they stopped along the way to enjoy their picnic lunch, the leg of lamb was missing! She had placed the meat at her feet in their vehicle when they left home. When they reached our house, they left the car in our driveway with the door open whilst delivering the meatballs and chatting to us in the house. We had two dogs...

Now her husband really was upset! "Does your God know about this?"

Needless to say, she was in the proverbial dog box!

The Monday afternoon following, her husband arrived home from work with a whole sheep over his shoulders! A gift from a colleague!

She was able to point out to her spouse that indeed God not only knew about the lost leg of lamb but magnanimously replaced it and more! Not as big a miracle as resurrecting a son, but notable anyway!

Incidently, we only found out about the loss of the leg of lamb after they received the sheep on the Monday!

Has God perhaps performed a miracle for you that now seems to be threatened by death, or even worse, had died? Keep you mind fixed on God - He surely is capable of resurrecting your miracle.

Thank You, Lord, that you are at all times capable and willing to do miracles - even to resurrect them, if need be. Thank You, that you owe nobody anything and that everything we receive from You is a gift of mercy and grace.