Know What God Said
I’ve been going through a pretty rough time lately. What can I say? Life happens. It seems to “happen” more often when you’re a prophet, but I digress. Anyhoo, in this rough time, I was reminded of the story of the Shunammite Woman.
In a nutshell, she was a wealthy married woman who encountered the prophet Elisha and whenever he passed her way, she would invite him to eat at her house. After hosting him several times, she asked her husband if they could build an addition to the house so he could not only rest but retire there when he came through to minister. The husband agreed, the addition was built, and the prophet would stop there with his servant Gehazi. As a thank you, Elisha asked the woman what he could do for her. Gehazi answered on her behalf and stated that she had no son and her husband was old. And now we will turn to the Scripture.
14 So [Elisha] said, “What then is to be done for her?”
And Gehazi answered, “Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old.”
15 So he said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the doorway. 16 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!”
17 But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.
18 And the child grew. Now it happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers. 19 And he said to his father, “My head, my head!”
So he said to a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. 21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out. 22 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.”
23 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.” ...
25 So it was, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look, the Shunammite woman! 26 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?’”
26 And she answered, “It is well.” 27 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.”
28 So she said, “Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me’?”
29 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.”
30 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….
32 When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed. 33 He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord. 34 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. 35 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. 36 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.” 37 So she went in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; then she picked up her son and went out.” (2 Kings 4:14-37)
In the situation that I went through, I was stunned, shocked, and DEVASTATED. I literally had a brief panic attack. Yet ironically, I think that pinnacle of devastation shook me out of my downward spiral and into my spiritual common sense.
I KNOW WHAT GOD SAID.
So, “it is well,” became my confession. And as that began to sink into my spirit, I was reminded of the Shunammite Woman. Like her--by the grace of God--I was able to keep myself together, get up, and do what needed to be done. I wasn’t just confessing that “it is well,” but I sounded well. I was well. Not unrealistic. Not having my moments, but well.
The interesting thing was, I didn’t cry. I’m an empath, so I am DEFINITELY a crier! LOL So it was completely abnormal for me to not have cried. Some of that was the shock of it all; some if it was understanding the truth of my situation:
I KNOW WHAT GOD SAID.
But it was still weird to me that I hadn’t cried.
So early yesterday morning, I was praying. And the Lord brought the passage about the Shunammite Woman back to my mind. And it’s funny how you read stories and remember certain parts, yet forget others. I remembered the way she honoured the prophet. I remembered the way he desired to bless her. I remembered the way he prophesied to her that which her heart desired, yet she dared not even think to ask for. And I remembered that when the promise died, she maintained her confession: “It is well.” But I forgot her human moment.
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.” (2 Kings 4:27)
I forgot that this beautiful woman utterly and completely broke down at the prophet’s feet. While I am not a mother yet, I do understand what it is to have the manifested promise of God in your hands and watch it seemingly die. I understand the deep distress that thing produces.
And the beautiful thing about this moment is that her breakdown was not contradictory to her faith. In the natural, she was devastated. Yet in the spirit, she was determined to believe.
SHE KNEW WHAT GOD SAID.
She knew what the Lord had said through the prophet, and she believed it. So she went to the [earthly] source and would not let him go until he corrected the situation.
This is not for all of you. However, some of you need to grab hold to the horns of the altar and not give God any rest until He restores your situation to what He promised.
I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
They shall never hold their peace day or night.
You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent,
And give Him no rest till He establishes
And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ”
6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:1-8)
It’s important for you to KNOW what God said to you, KNOW what God showed to you, and then persistently hold to that thing. God will let you know if you need to loose your hold on the thing. And if He does, He will also give you the grace to walk out that process. But if He hasn’t shown you that, HOLD ON. Give Him no rest. And trust that His hands are far more capable than yours could ever be. I will leave you with these prophetic words:
“Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” (2 Chronicles 20:20b)
“Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.” (Luke 1:45)
