Silent Faith
Hi Family!
I've had a story on my heart ALLLLLL day. And seeing that my day was so busy playing transport for the kids to get to their respective morning places (most people call this PARENTING LOL) I had lots of time to think of the small details of the story. But since I've been home, I've been really reading and studying this story. It's the story of the Shunnamite Woman. You can find the story in 2 Kings 4:8-37. But my focus was at the beginning of her story. Just verses 8-17. Here is what it says:
8 One day Elisha went to the town of Shunem. A wealthy woman lived there, and she urged him to come to her home for a meal. After that, whenever he passed that way, he would stop there for something to eat.
9 She said to her husband, “I am sure this man who stops in from time to time is a holy man of God. 10 Let’s build a small room for him on the roof and furnish it with a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp. Then he will have a place to stay whenever he comes by.”
11 One day Elisha returned to Shunem, and he went up to this upper room to rest.
12 He said to his servant Gehazi, “Tell the woman from Shunem I want to speak to her.” When she appeared,
13 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tell her, ‘We appreciate the kind concern you have shown us. What can we do for you? Can we put in a good word for you to the king or to the commander of the army?’”
“No,” she replied, “my family takes good care of me.”
14 Later Elisha asked Gehazi, “What can we do for her?”
Gehazi replied, “She doesn’t have a son, and her husband is an old man.”
15 “Call her back again,” Elisha told him. When the woman returned, Elisha said to her as she stood in the doorway,
16 “Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms!”
“No, my lord!” she cried. “O man of God, don’t deceive me and get my hopes up like that.”
17 But sure enough, the woman soon became pregnant. And at that time the following year she had a son, just as Elisha had said.
Lots of things hit me here. Verse after verse it was like another detail that painted a picture for me. But by the end of verse 17 (for the 4th or 5th time) I realize I can "see" her, her plight, her heart.
So verse 8 tells us about the woman herself. The first thing we note about her is that she is wealthy. When I think about "wealthy" people, they usually don't want for anything. Have everything they need. And have (for the most part) gotten what they've wanted.
I also noted that this lady was really nice. She was loving and she was a giver. That's noted by verses 9-10. Throughout scripture I've read so many times of people opening their homes to Prophets of God and messengers and even for Jesus Himself. But this woman went a step further. She decided to speak to her husband about building Elisha a room of his own with a bed, table, chair and lamp so that he had a place to stay whenever he was in town. That is a very special thing to do for a Man of God. That's a gesture, that in my eyes, is to truly be admired.
So she was wealthy and she was a loving giver and had a husband. But that's all we know. Then in verse 13 she reminded me so much of today's humble people. How many times has someone wanted to pay us back some sort of hospitality or favor and we refuse them. Her response is noted in verse 13. “No,” she replied, “my family takes good care of me.” Poor thing. Her family takes care of her. She has all she could ever need. I thought about so many times that someone asked what can I do for you or how can I help you and I said "I'm fine! I'm all set!" meanwhile, my heart had a cry for something that I assume I can no longer ever have. Or something that seemed like it would never happen. Or for something they could never give me.
And the thing that really catches me is that the Prophet Elisha's servant Gahazi is the one who noticed that the woman is married to an old man and she seems to not have any children. If Elisha was such a great Prophet, how-come he didn't see that himself? But that wasn't the case. Gahazi was the one that said it. So Elisha had the woman come back to him and prophesied that at that time the following year she would have a son. Her reaction...... Oh her reaction......
“No, my lord!” she cried. “O man of God, don’t deceive me and get my hopes up like that.”
A few things came to my mind at this point. 1. Maybe Gahazi was his servant to point out the simpler things. Things already in the natural. 2. Maybe Elisha couldn't "see" the simple natural fact that the woman had no children because he was meant to look at the spiritual. 3. Elisha, in his prophetic gift, was able to see the true heart's desire of the woman that she did not speak to anyone of. At least not that it was recorded in scripture. But I assume that if her husband was already old, maybe that is a prayer that she had given up on. How many times have we given up on a dream or a prayer because it seems that time has passed or it's just been so long of praying we've just settled for the fact that it is not God's will for us. She probably felt that way about a child. But when Elisha prophesied that to her she said what we would have said. I can imagine with tears to follow because SHE ALREADY KNEW he was a man of God. "Don't play with me!!! Don't lie to me and tell me something that won't come true!!!"
Elisha was able to see her true desire, based on the fact that Gehazi spoke to him that she had no children. He never asked if she had children that died. He never asked if she ever even WANTED children. He didn't ask if she was barren. But Elisha gave her the prophesy and it came to pass as he said.
What are we not praying about? What have we given up on, by assumption that time has passed or because WE decided that it wasn't God's will? God is searching our hearts this very moment. Behind all the things that He will find where we are obedient (and sometimes disobedient in) He Will find your true desires. Those desires that you don't even realize that because you stopped praying it, didn't mean its not still in your heart. Thats your Silent Faith... It's so small you don't see that it's there anymore, but it is. How amazing would it be to see some of those things still come to pass wouldn't it? 5 years to late? 10 years too late? 20 years too late? But Divinely On Time when it's Gods Time.
I love you all. Be Blessed!!!
Ana
I've had a story on my heart ALLLLLL day. And seeing that my day was so busy playing transport for the kids to get to their respective morning places (most people call this PARENTING LOL) I had lots of time to think of the small details of the story. But since I've been home, I've been really reading and studying this story. It's the story of the Shunnamite Woman. You can find the story in 2 Kings 4:8-37. But my focus was at the beginning of her story. Just verses 8-17. Here is what it says:
8 One day Elisha went to the town of Shunem. A wealthy woman lived there, and she urged him to come to her home for a meal. After that, whenever he passed that way, he would stop there for something to eat.
9 She said to her husband, “I am sure this man who stops in from time to time is a holy man of God. 10 Let’s build a small room for him on the roof and furnish it with a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp. Then he will have a place to stay whenever he comes by.”
11 One day Elisha returned to Shunem, and he went up to this upper room to rest.
12 He said to his servant Gehazi, “Tell the woman from Shunem I want to speak to her.” When she appeared,
13 Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tell her, ‘We appreciate the kind concern you have shown us. What can we do for you? Can we put in a good word for you to the king or to the commander of the army?’”
“No,” she replied, “my family takes good care of me.”
14 Later Elisha asked Gehazi, “What can we do for her?”
Gehazi replied, “She doesn’t have a son, and her husband is an old man.”
15 “Call her back again,” Elisha told him. When the woman returned, Elisha said to her as she stood in the doorway,
16 “Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms!”
“No, my lord!” she cried. “O man of God, don’t deceive me and get my hopes up like that.”
17 But sure enough, the woman soon became pregnant. And at that time the following year she had a son, just as Elisha had said.
Lots of things hit me here. Verse after verse it was like another detail that painted a picture for me. But by the end of verse 17 (for the 4th or 5th time) I realize I can "see" her, her plight, her heart.
So verse 8 tells us about the woman herself. The first thing we note about her is that she is wealthy. When I think about "wealthy" people, they usually don't want for anything. Have everything they need. And have (for the most part) gotten what they've wanted.
I also noted that this lady was really nice. She was loving and she was a giver. That's noted by verses 9-10. Throughout scripture I've read so many times of people opening their homes to Prophets of God and messengers and even for Jesus Himself. But this woman went a step further. She decided to speak to her husband about building Elisha a room of his own with a bed, table, chair and lamp so that he had a place to stay whenever he was in town. That is a very special thing to do for a Man of God. That's a gesture, that in my eyes, is to truly be admired.
So she was wealthy and she was a loving giver and had a husband. But that's all we know. Then in verse 13 she reminded me so much of today's humble people. How many times has someone wanted to pay us back some sort of hospitality or favor and we refuse them. Her response is noted in verse 13. “No,” she replied, “my family takes good care of me.” Poor thing. Her family takes care of her. She has all she could ever need. I thought about so many times that someone asked what can I do for you or how can I help you and I said "I'm fine! I'm all set!" meanwhile, my heart had a cry for something that I assume I can no longer ever have. Or something that seemed like it would never happen. Or for something they could never give me.
And the thing that really catches me is that the Prophet Elisha's servant Gahazi is the one who noticed that the woman is married to an old man and she seems to not have any children. If Elisha was such a great Prophet, how-come he didn't see that himself? But that wasn't the case. Gahazi was the one that said it. So Elisha had the woman come back to him and prophesied that at that time the following year she would have a son. Her reaction...... Oh her reaction......
“No, my lord!” she cried. “O man of God, don’t deceive me and get my hopes up like that.”
A few things came to my mind at this point. 1. Maybe Gahazi was his servant to point out the simpler things. Things already in the natural. 2. Maybe Elisha couldn't "see" the simple natural fact that the woman had no children because he was meant to look at the spiritual. 3. Elisha, in his prophetic gift, was able to see the true heart's desire of the woman that she did not speak to anyone of. At least not that it was recorded in scripture. But I assume that if her husband was already old, maybe that is a prayer that she had given up on. How many times have we given up on a dream or a prayer because it seems that time has passed or it's just been so long of praying we've just settled for the fact that it is not God's will for us. She probably felt that way about a child. But when Elisha prophesied that to her she said what we would have said. I can imagine with tears to follow because SHE ALREADY KNEW he was a man of God. "Don't play with me!!! Don't lie to me and tell me something that won't come true!!!"
Elisha was able to see her true desire, based on the fact that Gehazi spoke to him that she had no children. He never asked if she had children that died. He never asked if she ever even WANTED children. He didn't ask if she was barren. But Elisha gave her the prophesy and it came to pass as he said.
What are we not praying about? What have we given up on, by assumption that time has passed or because WE decided that it wasn't God's will? God is searching our hearts this very moment. Behind all the things that He will find where we are obedient (and sometimes disobedient in) He Will find your true desires. Those desires that you don't even realize that because you stopped praying it, didn't mean its not still in your heart. Thats your Silent Faith... It's so small you don't see that it's there anymore, but it is. How amazing would it be to see some of those things still come to pass wouldn't it? 5 years to late? 10 years too late? 20 years too late? But Divinely On Time when it's Gods Time.
I love you all. Be Blessed!!!
Ana
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