Elisha And The Shunammite Woman Series

#3 - She Was A Great Woman Because She Was Interested In Promoting the Work of God – v.9

She did what she did for Elisha because she perceived he was a man of God, that is, a prophet teaching the Word & doing the work of God. By her concern & her actions she was promoting God’s work. She took God seriously & got involved w/ God’s work according to her abilities & the opportunities God gave her. You don’t have to be the out-front or up-front person to be involved in God’s work.

#4 – She Was a Great Woman Because She Was Content – v.11-13

On 1 of the times when Elisha stopped as he sat in his room pondering all that this couple had done for him it filled w/ gratitude so that he wanted to bless them in return. So he sends his servant to find out what he could do for them & even offers a few suggestions. He could use his influence to introduce them to the king & to mingle w/ the nobility of the land. Here was her opportunity to have her ministry to the prophet recognized in the leading circles of the country.

Don’t you love her response – v.13b, “I live among my own people.” Thanks, but no thanks. She had no desire for worldly advancement; she was not wanting to climb the social ladder of success. She was content w/ what God had provided her & w/ her place of service & ministry in the community. She was content w/ her home, her position, her friends, & her ministry. What a rare attitude!

Susanna Wesley – “I am content to fill a little space if God be glorified.” As the Scriptures say, “Godliness w/ contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6).

She had learned to be content even though there was a secret ache in her soul, that ache being she had no children, she had no son to carry on the family name.

She had learned to be content even though that ache was there. What a lesson for us to learn. May I ask you this morning: do you have any hidden aches in your life? There are the more obvious ones but also less obvious ones. But the truth this lady declares to us is: One can live a life of contentment even though there are hidden aches. If you don’t experience that then what are you declaring to the world about God? God’s presence & power w/in us can transcend those aches of the soul.

But stop & consider Elisha’s offer to her. What can I do to bless you? Now here is Elisha, the prophet of God, the disciple of Elijah. She had heard his stories of the miraculous things God had done through the 2 prophets, impossible things. She had probably heard about Elijah raising the widow of Zarephath’s son back to life. Was it too much to think that this miracle working God could give her a son? He had done it to Sarah, to Rachel, to Samson’s mother & to Hannah. If there was any time to express her hurt & longing this would be the time. And yet all that comes forth is contentment w/ what God had given. See why she was a great lady?

What a brilliant gem for Christ you & I become if we can be content in the midst of such a discontented society, in the midst of a society that complains about everything, in the midst of a life that has been touched by hard things & in the midst of hidden aches in our soul. Brethren, pray for it; fight for it.