It Is Well

“It Is Well” 12/29/03

2 Kings 4:8-37

The common greeting now days is to ask someone when you see them, “How are you?” or “How you doing?” as to the younger generation. Now most of the time the reply will be “fine and you” no matter if it is fine or not. But today I want to look at a story in the Old Testament that we find this question of “How are you” and see if we can have the same reply that this woman did. “It is well”.

But let’s go and do the background first.

She made a place for him (2 Kings 4:8-10)

This woman must have been a good cook, because we read where “as often as he would pass by”, he would turn there to eat some food. Now before Cracker Barrel started going in every where. I would do the same. When traveling and looking for a place to eat, I would look for a Cracker Barrel somewhere. My wife Hope not only likes to eat there, but she likes the shopping there also.

So this was one of Elisha favorite place to stop when passing through. Now she enjoyed Elisha’s company so much she went to her husband and asked him to turn her home into a bed and breakfast. Adding a room on the side of their house with a bed, table, and a chair with a lampstand beside it. She wanted this man of God to feel as welcome and comfortable as he could be.

As I thought about this, I wondered if we do the same. Now I’m not asking you to make me a room in your house, but I wonder to we do everything that we can to make Jesus feel welcome in our house.

Revelation 3:20, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with Him, and he with Me.

First of all, Jesus in a gentleman, he will not force the door open. We have to invite Him in. If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior you need to invite Him to come in your heart. I know there has been times that I’ve seen a salesman or someone I did not care to see and so when they knocked at my door, I pretended not to be there so they would go away. Don’t make the mistake of doing that with Jesus. Invite Him in your heart today.

But after you have invited Him in, do you do everything in your power to make Him feel welcome? Or do you put Him away in some corner and only take Him out when you need Him for something.

If you are a Christian, we need to do every thing that we can to make Him feel welcome and the way to do that is by making Him top priority in your life.

Have you ever been somewhere, where they go out of their way to make sure that you feel welcome? That is what we need to do with Him.

She was awarded a son (Vs.11-17)

As a way to repay this woman for her kindness, she was given a son in her old age. Much like the birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah, a gift from God.

We will also be rewarded for our works. Our awards are in two parts. First of all here on earth. Now when you become a Christian it does not mean that life great there after. In fact, the Bible tells us that there will be persecution for Christians. But you will be awarded the one thing this world can never give you. Peace. You have Peace because you have the Prince of Peace. And when the problems of this world come at you, then you have peace knowing that the Prince of Peace is there with you.

But the truth of the matter is that you are awarded in other ways. You can be awarded financially. Not saying that you will be rich. But He says in Philippians 4:19, And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

You will never be alone. Hebrews 13:5b,I will never leave you, nor forsake you. And the list goes on and on.

But you will also be awarded in Heaven.

2 Corinthians 5:10, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad.

Our goal should be when we get to Heaven, we will hear our Lord say, “Well done”, and we will be awarded accordingly.