Her Unfaltering Faith - An Assignment from God - Part 3

"Is it well with you?". And she answered, "It is well." 2 Kings 4:26

One of my favorite examples of a woman of great faith is tucked in the pages of 2 Kings. This woman is defined as a 'notable woman' (2 Kings 4:8) and I love everything we read about her. She had a spiritual fullness displayed in her behavior that spoke so loud that her words were very few. Her faith spoke volumes because of her yielded spirit. We can learn much from her beautiful testimony as she walked in great faith in her "assignment from God".

A couple birthdays ago, my dearest friend gave a gift card to Magnolia Co.- and I was so blessed and just waiting as to what I would get that would be so perfect and long lasting. As I prayed as to what to pick out, and looked each day, the Lord led me to this bracelet. Although , these words are short they are so powerful. An although this bracelet is long lasting how much more lasting are these words. I have needed to be reminded of them and I tuck them into my heart when His assignments come. As a proclamation of faith they resound in my heart as they challenge me to rise up beyond my circumstances...despite the circumstances... as I hear our Shunammite sister speak.

Over a year ago, my bracelet came and we had already entered into this difficult season. Funny though, because one of the few tv shows we watched was Fixer Upper as Randy so graciously sat and enjoyed seeing me watch it...and who would of known that it was shortly after that the plans for my new home would begin. This bracelet speaks to me about many things but it reminds me most of the attitude of my heart that needs to always be in check and fully surrendered to God. It reminds me of a story of unfailing faith in an assignment given to a woman by God....and her beautiful example to us all.

Let me share with you her story:

The Shunemmite Woman. 2 Kings 4:8-37

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. And she said to her husband, “Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. 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.

And it happened one day that he came there, and he turned in to the upper room and lay down there. Then he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite woman.” When he had called her, she stood before him. 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.” So he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old.” So he said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the doorway. 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!” But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.

And the child grew. Now it happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers. And he said to his father, “My head, my head!” So he said to a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out. 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.”

So he said, “Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath.”

And she said, “It is well.”

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.

So it was, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look, the Shunammite woman! Please run now to meet her, and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’ ” And she answered, “It is well.”

Now when she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet, but Gehazi came near to push her away. But the man of God said, “Let her alone; for her soul is in deep distress, and the Lord has hidden it from me, and has not told me.” So she said, “Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me’?” Then he said to Gehazi, “Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child.”

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. Now Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, “The child has not awakened.” He came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed. 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 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. 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. 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.” So she went in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; then she picked up her son and went out.

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The life giving words of the Shunemmite woman echoes in my hears, "It is well, it is well". Words of great faith. This woman's faith in God caused her to trust in Him unconditionally. The Bible calls her a great woman. I see that it was her faith that was great, not her many accomplishments. How w e need to hear this more today. She is a woman of few words. There is such truth in how the Lord leaves much of the 'unspoken' in the hands of the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself as only He can. We see this too in 1 Peter where Peter writes of a gentle and quiet spirit in the heart of a woman 'that without a word', a husband will be won. Gentleness and meekness is strength under control, not a lack of strength. I see this strength in her.

In reading 2 Kings 4:8-37 we read of her attributes, and her faith being walked out. We see that in her assignment and in her affliction, she was not injured because her assignment was met with great submission to God. In her situation, her mouth was guarded, she sought God, she prayed, she believed in His will. We see many admiring attributes in her....and just to mention a few; She is hospitable in providing for Elisha a place to stay and food, she is content as Elisha asked her what he could do for her in return for her kindness and she was just fine 'dwelling with her people". She is discerning, she is caring, she is kind. She is a wife and mother. She is industrious as she looks out for the affairs in her home. She loves her husband as she came to him to be sure he was aware of where she was going as she sought help and she too loved her son whose birth was a miracle and for whom she sought God for his life. She was persistent, she took action, and she knew her God.

Her example to us as a godly woman is priceless but her example shines brightly because of her spiritual fullness, her spiritual growth and transformation. She was a great and noble woman but not because of what she did but because what she had become. She became a yielded vessel in the hands of the LORD. She learned to accept and embrace Gods will for her, His work in her life. Gods working's, His assignment's, when accepted with the deepest of brokenness yields the most beautiful fragrance to all those around. I absolutely love her example to us all of her usefulness where God placed her....only because of her overflowing love for Christ, not her ability, zest, or her striving to "become".

Her assignments from God and her service to Him meant God dealing with her through what He had allowed - not what she could do for Him - but by her becoming an extension of Himself because she placed herself in His hands. She accepted, then her faith was unfaltering through it all.

I share this picture with you from our first trip to Duke University. Sitting in the waiting room I was in a corner and around me a small group of chairs and as I looked directly behind me there was this beautiful vessel displayed in a case. God always going before me, reminding me of what I need to hear. Instantly the Lord reminded me how we were chosen to display Him. How we as Christians are on display in no matter what He allows. Our lives mere clay, lifeless, dirty and without no true form and our circumstance daunting at times but in His hands we become His beautiful work of transformation and an extension to others of Himself.

Our brothers and sisters in Christ displayed this to us as well in each of their lives as we seen Christ in everything they did for us. We seen Christ speaking in and through them. We seen Christ manifested in and through their words and actions. I too think of Elisha, our Shunammite sister, her husband...how all our experiences of 'Christ's cross' being taken up daily give us meaning to our sufferings.

This woman was focused on the things of God. She didn't complain. She didn't run to all her friends. She ran to God. I heard a sweet but profound saying once that I have not forgotten...."may we run to the Throne, not our phones!" How too I desperately need to go to the Secret Place of the Most High and keep trusting in Him each day. How I must sit before Him. When people ask how we are doing can we say "Is it well", not because of our circumstance, NO, but because of the attitude of our heart and our faith in Him. These are words that keep us attaining for more of Him...words that keep us needing more of Him. Her only son had died in her arms and yet she spoke not a word about it...only "It is well", even when it wasn't. She is Gods beautiful example to us.

Out of her dark tragedy Elisha comes and her son is healed. He is resurrected. Her statement of faith in her 3 small words spoke of her faith to continue to believe no matter what Gods Will would be. She knew that God would do according to His plans. Her soul WAS well because of God. Through that time her faith was tested, for what would come next, as she trusted her God. In 2 Kings 4:38 - 2 Kings 8:6 we read more of her story.... a famine comes, and there are turbulent times upon the land and upon her people...her family moves away for seven years to live amongst their enemies the Philistines and eventually her husband dies. After seven years, another king restores the land of the Shunemmites and she is ready to return and she then stands humbly before the king to ask for what was once her husbands - to get her home and land back. Her son now grown stands by her side as she speaks to the king (2 Kings 8:5), a beautiful reminder and testimony of her life, of the God who restores. The king appointed all to be restored to her...."Restore all that was hers...from the day that she left the land...until now". This is our God! This is Gods favor upon us all as we seek Him first.

I love her testimony. I love the testimony of her son just by her side as she spoke to the king. Our assignments from God are our silent testimonies of life. Silent through the many workings of God in our life but how loud they speak of Him. The things He appoints for us are for His glory. Our assignments from God come to produce our testimonies....remember the Shunammite woman and Gods sovereign grace arranging her and her husbands relationship with this man of God. Arranging this conversation she had with the king. Through it all her faith was tried and tested through each of her unknowns but God knew and He was moving. Such spiritual fullness she had and it testified through her words"It is well".

Her story speaks such beauty of a resurrected life in Christ - her sons life resurrected - how God restores. How, through us, others are resurrected as raising ' dead souls' are Gods mission and how we can be a part of His work. Unbelief tells us we are not capable of God's assignments, but neither was Elisha, or this woman, it was only by God and His Spirit. Our assignments in the world are not to do the things possible by man....but to do those things only possibly by God through His Spirit, using those who Believe.

"An Assignment from God" walked through by faith is portrayed in the life of this noble woman of God. I love her, her yielded life a vessel for the Master's use. How her story inspires me today of the importance of our witness to the world, and of our behavior to speak so loud and with few words through various trials and through the assignments God gives us.

My Mother. God gives us examples today. There are many women in my life that God has used besides this woman. I am sure many of you can say the same of someone God has used in your life to watch their faith being lived out. As women we need these examples. The Shunemmite woman reminds me of my Mother. Her character speaks of a humble heart, bowing to God, believing in His Sovereignty, her words are often few. She goes to God first, and not speaking her case to all who will hear. She follows God and allows God to use her as He wills....She is persistent, and tries to do always what is best...always caring for her family and others, soft spoken yet brave...and even more so through times of great uncertainty with a faith that never falters.

"There is simply no mention of this woman's sufferings, hint of her groaning, or even murmur of any kind throughout the story. Although her beloved son died in her lap, she conducted herself in perfect calmness. Many Christians cringe at the slightest hint of Gods dealing. They miss the golden opportunities to allow God to deepen them from within"

I thank God the Shunemmite woman's beautiful example to us all. Everyday was a day of Truth for her. I thank her for her testimony spoken in only three short but three very powerful words... "It is well".

Michelle A. Guerra