Did you know that the gift of hospitality can completely change someone’s life? Today, we will study the story of a woman whose life changed significantly because of the power of serving God.
Hopefully, by the end of this story, you will grasp the importance of the power of serving God. Not only will you see that serving God can change your life, but even those around you.
Let me pray for you as we start: “Spirit of the Living God, I pray that You will take over this moment. May You be present in our midst, Holy Spirit. Teach us in depth the meaning and the power of serving God. In Jesus’ mighty name, we pray. Amen!”
One of my favorite Bible stories is in the Book of 2 Kings 4 from verse 8 to verse 37
. The story is about a woman who welcomed a Prophet into her home.
As a result, she started experiencing supernatural miracles in her life and those around her. In a few words, she started witnessing the power of serving God.
So, the day she welcomed Prophet Elisha for the first time, she wasn’t aware of the many great things that would follow her act of hospitality. Along the way, she witnesses her life change miraculously.
After reading and studying this story multiple times, I discovered seven life lessons we can benefit from. Once you finish reading this post, you will find the courage to serve God.
So, without taking too much time, let us study how the woman from Shunem experienced seven miracles because of the power of serving God.
So here is the first miracle:
1. The ability to see someone’s value by using spiritual eyes
Let’s read this passage below to see how the woman from Shunem received supernatural spiritual eyes.
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." -2 Kings 4:8-10 NLT
As you can see in verse 9, the woman from Shunem noticed that the man she welcomed into her home wasn’t ordinary. Therefore, she asked her husband if they could host their guest by building him an upper room.
By the way, it may not be easy to see someone’s value without using your spiritual eyes. Only the Holy Spirit can give us this supernatural gift.
Although it was part of her culture to invite travelers for a meal, the woman from Shunem noticed that this person had something special. After several visits, she initiated that conversation, and her husband agreed to build a room for their special guest.
After this kind gesture, the heavenly windows opened, and many blessings poured over her life.
Let’s see what was the 2nd miracle:
2. Prophet Elisha saw her barrenness
The second miracle the woman from Shunem experienced was conceiving a son after so many years of infertility.
During this second part of the story, we see how the woman from Shunem was so used to her barrenness/ infertility and didn’t perceive it as an issue anymore.
Unfortunately, she had a hard time believing that she could even conceive after so many years of infertility. This unbelief hindered her from receiving the prophetic word Prophet Elisha spoke over her.
The passage below tells us more about how it happened:
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
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.
-2 Kings 4:11-17
As we can see from the passage above, God exposed the barrenness of the woman from Shenum because she had invited a godly prophet into her home. Fortunately, as a result, she conceived and gave birth to her only child a year later.
From there, her faith matured, and she hoped to see many more miracles.
3. Faith beyond reality
Just a few years after she experienced the first two miracles, the woman from Shenum went through an excruciating phase.
Unfortunately, the child she received miraculously randomly passed away unexpectedly.
And yes, of course, she sought help from Prophet Elisha and had faith that God was going to use him to bring her dead son back to life.
18 One day when her child was older, he went out to help his father, who was working with the harvesters.
19 Suddenly he cried out, "My head hurts! My head hurts!"
His father said to one of the servants, "Carry him home to his mother."
20 So the servant took him home, and his mother held him on her lap. But around noontime he died.
21 She carried him up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and left him there.
22 She sent a message to her husband: "Send one of the servants and a donkey so that I can hurry to the man of God and come right back."
23 "Why go today?" he asked. "It is neither a new moon festival nor a Sabbath."
But she said, "It will be all right."
24 So she saddled the donkey and said to the servant, "Hurry! Don't slow down unless I tell you to."
25 As she approached the man of God at Mount Carmel, Elisha saw her in the distance. He said to Gehazi, "Look, the woman from Shunem is coming.
26 Run out to meet her and ask her, 'Is everything all right with you, your husband, and your child?'"
"Yes," the woman told Gehazi, "everything is fine."
27 But when she came to the man of God at the mountain, she fell to the ground before him and caught hold of his feet. Gehazi began to push her away, but the man of God said, "Leave her alone. She is deeply troubled, but the LORD has not told me what it is."
28 Then she said, "Did I ask you for a son, my lord? And didn't I say, 'Don't deceive me and get my hopes up'?"
29 Then Elisha said to Gehazi, "Get ready to travel[a]; take my staff and go! Don't talk to anyone along the way. Go quickly and lay the staff on the child's face."
30 But the boy's mother said, "As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I won't go home unless you go with me." So Elisha returned with her.
-2 Kings 4:18-30
Based on the spiritual eyes she received when she first hosted Prophet Elisha, the woman from Shenum sensed that Gehazi wasn’t a good person. Therefore, she believed that God could use Prophet Elisha to resurrect her dead son.
The woman from Shenum believed in the resurrection miracle because it was possibly her first time experiencing anything like that.
Fortunately, she acquired so much faith by witnessing Prophet Elisha’s ministry that she believed nothing was impossible for those who believed.
As a result, she had faith and confidence that the God of Prophet Elisha was the only one who would resurrect her son. Sure enough, the LORD showed up in her situation again.
4. Her son came back to life
The second the woman from Shenum’s son died in her arms, her first instinct was to take his body to Prophet Elisha’s upper room.
Because of her faith, she understood that placing him in a godly environment was the first step toward her son’s resurrection. As she was taking her dead son’s body upstairs, it was an act of surrender.
As soon as her son passed away, I believe that she remembered that it was in that same upper room where she received a prophetic Word that she was going to have a son.
So when the woman from Shenum took her dead son’s body into that upper room, by faith, I believe this is what she was saying to herself:
“It was in this room that the LORD God placed you into my heart. And then, a few days after, He placed you into my womb. Today, I am returning you to where I first met you. I know down deep my heart that God will bring you back to me again, alive.”
Sure enough, the LORD brought her son back to life, and she was so grateful.
32 When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet's bed.
33 He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the LORD.
34 Then he lay down on the child's body, placing his mouth on the child's mouth, his eyes on the child's eyes, and his hands on the child's hands. And as he stretched out on him, the child's body began to grow warm again! 35 Elisha got up, walked back and forth across the room once, and then stretched himself out again on the child. This time the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes!
36 Then Elisha summoned Gehazi. "Call the child's mother!" he said. And when she came in, Elisha said, "Here, take your son!"
37 She fell at his feet and bowed before him, overwhelmed with gratitude. Then she took her son in her arms and carried him downstairs.
-2 Kings 4:32-37
Many more miracles followed after the fourth miracle, and as years passed, the LORD was good toward the woman from Shenum by warning her about an upcoming famine.
5. Warning about a famine
For some years, the woman from Shenum had developed trust in Prophet Elisha. After witnessing God’s hand through Prophet Elisha, she didn’t take his instructions lightly.
Another miracle God performed in her life was warning her about a famine that would last seven years.
Here below is the passage where we get to see this part of the story:
1 Elisha had told the woman whose son he had brought back to life, "Take your family and move to some other place, for the LORD has called for a famine on Israel that will last for seven years."
2 So the woman did as the man of God instructed. She took her family and settled in the land of the Philistines for seven years.
-2 Kings 8:1-2 NLT
By obeying and following Prophet Elisha’s warning about the famine, the woman from Shenum saved herself and her entire family from starvation.
After those seven years of famine ended, the LORD again blessed this woman for her hospitality.
Even when she was away, others kept testifying about the great miracles God performed in her life.
6. Others testified on her behalf
As we saw from the previous passage, the LORD warned this family about a famine that was about to happen.
And even though the woman from Shenum was away, living in a different land, the LORD ensured that her act of hospitality spoke on behalf.
Let’s see how it happened:
3 After the famine ended she returned from the land of the Philistines, and she went to see the king about getting back her house and land.
4 As she came in, the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God. The king had just said, "Tell me some stories about the great things Elisha has done."
5 And Gehazi was telling the king about the time Elisha had brought a boy back to life. At that very moment, the mother of the boy walked in to make her appeal to the king about her house and land.
"Look, my lord the king!" Gehazi exclaimed. "Here is the woman now, and this is her son—the very one Elisha brought back to life!"
-2 Kings 8:3-5 NLT
Even after so many years of being away from her native land due to a famine, we see how others spoke on her behalf to the king. As a result, the king was pleased with her kindness and hospitality even though she wasn’t present.
So, when the woman from Shenum visited the king regarding her estate, her case was already resolved.
7. Restoration of what was taken away from her
When the famine struck in Israel, Prophet Elisha warned his good friend and her family. As a result, the woman from Shenum and her family fled away from their native land.
However, as many years passed, people stole her house and land. Fortunately, the LORD God remembered the kindness the woman from Shenum showed to His servant, Prophet Elisha.
The passage below shows us the faithfulness of God in the lives of those who serve Him wholeheartedly.
Let’s read:
"5 And Gehazi was telling the king about the time Elisha had brought a boy back to life. At that very moment, the mother of the boy walked in to make her appeal to the king about her house and land. "Look, my lord the king!" Gehazi exclaimed. "Here is the woman now, and this is her son—the very one Elisha brought back to life!
6 "Is this true?" the king asked her. And she told him the story. So he directed one of his officials to see that everything she had lost was restored to her, including the value of any crops that had been harvested during her absence."
-2 Kings 8: 5-6 NLT
So, God restored what people took away from her and the value of the harvests collected during her absence. Just imagine how this woman felt when she heard the king’s order.
What a Mighty God we serve!
I hope that you understand the importance of the power of serving God by now. Let’s examine the takeaway message from this encouraging story.
Take away message
After thoughtfully contemplating the woman from Shenum’s story, we can learn seven beneficial points from it.
May each point speak to us intimately, so we will clearly understand the power of serving God.
- The ability to see someone’s value using spiritual eyes:
- As we willingly and wholeheartedly serve God, the LORD will give us spiritual eyes to see His people through His eyes.
2. Prophet Elisha saw her barrenness:
- As we willingly serve God, whatever is barren in our lives is exposed and rebuked.
- No darkness will remain hidden in us once we allow God to use us for His Kingdom’s purpose.
3. Faith beyond reality:
- As we serve God, our faith increases and matures more than before. By being God’s vessel, crazy faith becomes our new norm /reality.
- People may think that we have lost our minds during this period of our lives. Sometimes, they may even accuse us of losing touch with reality.
4. Her son came back to life:
- As we remain at Jesus’s feet and serve Him faithfully, what was dead will eventually come back to life.
5. Warning about a famine:
- The LORD God will make sure that He warns us against upcoming disasters.
6. Others testified on her behalf:
- Being in God’s presence and serving Him publicly with no hypocrisy, others will notice you.
- Not only will others notice you, but they will speak kindly of you. Others will even testify about you.
- You will find favor in God’s eyes and people’s.
7. Restoration of what was taken away from her:
- Another great miracle that may happen in your life is that God will ensure that what the enemy took away from you is entirely given back to you.
Note: If you would like to learn more about the benefit of serving others , please click this link: Putting others before yourself.
Conclusion
In conclusion, let today’s message teach us the importance of the power of serving God. I hope we won’t serve God to please people but will always serve Him with sincere hearts.
As we learned from the story of the woman from Shenum, the power of serving God can bring many blessings to our lives and those around us. Let this verse below teach us a better understanding of serving God.
23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.
-Colossians 3:24-25
As we conclude, let me pray for you: “May the LORD God give you explicit instruction of how He wants you to serve Him. May His Holy Spirit fill you out with the desire and ability to serve God wholeheartedly. In Jesus’ mighty name, I pray. Amen!”
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