How do you respond with that much faith in the face of that much heartache?
Mr. Spafford booked passage on the next available ship to join his grieving wife. As the ship crossed the place where his daughters had died, Horatio Spafford penned the lyrics: When sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul.
How do you respond with that much faith in the face of that much heartache?
2 Kings 4:8-36 describes a similar account, but in this story, we don’t just see a faith that we can admire, like that of Mr. Spafford and his wife. But we actually get the answer to the question of how we can respond in faith to life’s worst moments.
In this passage, a woman – known only as the Shunammite woman, for the region in which she and her husband live – has often prepared meals for Elisha as he travels through Shunem, but he comes through so often that she and her husband eventually build a room for him. As a thank you, Elisha asks what he can do for her.
Money can’t buy happiness, but it does buy comfort.
She asks for nothing, but eventually Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, mentions that she doesn’t have a child and her husband is old. So Elisha promises her a son, to which she replies, “Don’t play with me, man of God – don’t get my hopes up.” In much more ancient Hebraic words, of course. And sure enough, in true “prophet of god” fashion, she becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son a year later.
If you’re familiar with the story, don’t give anything away – I know I’m leaving so much out, but we can talk about it next week. There’s something I really want us to see about the beginning of this passage, before we even get into the meat of things. In this particular hermeneutical feast, the appetizer might be the very thing that makes the rest of the meal so filling.
I’m sure… Let’s build.
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.
The woman is wealthy. Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy comfort. This woman wasn’t wanting for anything. Her wealth and inherent social status meant that she required no favors from the prophet. Yet she consistently sought to care for him. Her desire to care for Elisha could only indicate the respect she had for him. She was wealthy, but she was also devout.
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.”
If she hadn’t been convinced, there probably wouldn’t have been a miracle.
I’m sure this man is a holy man, let’s build him a room. I’m sure… Let’s build. I’m sure… Let’s build. Do you see what’s going on here? She is certain. She’s convinced. There is a conviction here about who Elisha is. And conviction demands action, an obedient and appropriate response. These two things go hand in hand.
The Shunammite woman is convinced that Elisha is a holy man of God – she is sure that with every meal served, she is entertaining holiness in her home and she did not want that to end. So she built something. Conviction and action.
What action did she take? She made room. Not only did she build a space, she made it comfortable. She built an environment that was attractive. That would make Elisha want to come back. Even put a little chair in there.
Conviction demands action.
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