To say something is well means it is satisfactory, pleasing, or good. Sometimes things happen and we definitely do not feel well, is it okay to say it is well at such times?
In 2 Kings 4:8-44, a Shunammite woman accommodated the prophet Elisha during his visit to the town of Shunem. She went ahead to entreat her husband to make a little room for him on the roof and furnish it with a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that he would have a place to stay whenever he passed by (2 Kings 4:8-10)
Elisha was touched by the woman's hospitality and generosity, his servant Gehazi noticed that she had no child. Elisha prophesied to the woman that she would be holding a son by the same time the following year.
"No my lord!" she had protested. "Please do not lie to me like that, O man of God." And it came to pass that she had a son according to Elisha's prophesy. You can imagine the woman's joy after being childless for so long.
One day when her child was older, he went out to visit his father, who was working with the harvesters. Suddenly he complained, "My head hurts! My head hurts!" His father sent a servant to carry him home to his mother. His mother held him on her lap. But around noon time, he died. She carried him to the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and left him there. She sent a message to her husband to send her one of the servants and a donkey so that she could hurry to the man of God and return.
She held him on her lap, but at noon time he died. 2 Kings 4:20
"Why today?" he asked, "It is neither a new moon festival nor a Sabbath."
But she said, "It shall be well." (2 Kings 4: 23)
She saddled the donkey and left with the servant for the prophet's place.
As she approached the man of God at Mount Carmel, Elisha saw her in the distance and sent Gehazi to meet her and ask if everything was alright with her, with her husband and with her child.
And she told Gehazi, "it is well." (2 Kings 4:26)
But when she came close to the man of God at the mountain, she fell to the ground before him, caught hold of his feet for she was deeply troubled.
Then she said to him, "it is you, my lord, who said I would have a son. And didn't I tell you not to raise my hopes?"
When she came to the man of God, she fell to the ground before him and caught hold of his feet. 2 Kings 4:27
Elisha sent Gehazi with his staff and lay on the child's face, but the woman insisted she would not leave unless Elish returned with her. Gehazi hurried on ahead and laid the staff on the child's face, but nothing happened. He returned to tell Elisha.
When Elisha arrived, he went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the Lord. Then he lay down on the child's body and the child's body began to grow warm again. Elisha got up and walked back and forth a few times. Then he stretched himself out again on the child. This time the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.
The woman was overwhelmed with gratitude, she picked up her son and carried him downstairs. 2 Kings 4:37
I can only imagine the woman's joy and overwhelming gratitude to have her dead son come back to life (2 Kings 4:36-37).
The Shunammite woman’s faith and calm even in the worst case scenario teaches me that in Christ, it can be well for you whatever the circumstance. She kept saying it is alright even when nothing seemed alright. It is important to always profess and confess positively with our mouth regardless of what we’re going through or feeling at the moment. The shunammite woman was deeply troubled in her spirit, but she told her husband, “it will be alright.”
Here are three notable things I learnt from the day’s passage;
The Shunammite woman was hospitable, kind, and generous. She did something kind for a man of God without expecting anything in return, and God gave her the thing she desired the most. 2 Kings 4: 13-16
The Shunammite woman had great faith, she did not succumb to her fear, panic or doubt. She kept professing all would be well even when her son had just died in her arms.2 kings 4:18-26
The Shunammite woman turned to God immediately her son died. She didn’t just stop at professing positively in a negative situation, she turned to the one who can turn every situation around. She held the prophet by his feet and said she would not leave unless he returned with her to heal her son (2 Kings 4:20-30). Holding on to God in times of distress instead of giving in to fear, doubt and worry can lead to miraculous breakthroughs.
Prayer: Heavenly father, please help me to always speak with faith and not with fear concerning every aspect of my life in Jesus Name. Amen
Reference
The Holy Bible, King James Version, 2 Kings 4:8-37
The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 2 Kings 4:8-37
