“31 Gehazi hurried on ahead and laid the
staff on the child’s face, but nothing happened. There was no sign of life. He
returned to meet Elisha and told him, ‘The child is still dead.’
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 4:31-37
Here’s some more background, a woman and her husband took
good care of Elisha whenever he was in the town of Shunem. They even built him
a room, so Elisha wanted to do something kind for them. When he asked his
servant Gehazi what he should do, he told him that she had no son. So Elisha
granted her her desire and she was able to have this one son. One day he was
out in the fields with his father and he began to have a headache. Then when
his mother put him in Elisha’s bed, the boy died. She then had no one enter the
room and went in search of Elisha.
When she met Elisha, she told him all that happened. So
Elisha told Gehazi to go place his staff on the dead child’s face, expecting to
see a miracle, but the woman refused to leave without Elisha, so he went back
with her. But Gehazi returned, saying the child was still dead. When Elisha entered,
prayed, laid on the child, the child still didn’t jump up alive. So Elisha got
up, walked back and forth across the room one more time, praying no doubt, and
then tried it again. Then finally the boy woke up.
The little boy didn’t wake up on the first attempt, he didn’t
wake up on the second attempt, it took three acts of faith to awaken this dead child.
Some of us have pleaded for a child, a business, a miracle, and have been given
one. But for some reason, it has died, whether physically or spiritually. You’ve
tried to fix it, but it just seems hopeless. But don’t give up hope. If God has
given you this child, business or promised you a miracle, He will awaken whatever
has died, even if you don’t see life.
It wasn’t until Elisha came in, prayed, and acted, did he
begin to see life in the boy again. When something dies, sometimes it’s not
enough to just lay down a stick. Sometimes you have to get on your knees and
pray. Sometimes you have to layover what is dead and breathe life back into them.
It took three tries to awaken that child, yet Elisha never lost hope. Don’t
give up. There is still time for that wayward child to return, that business to
pick up, that miracle to happen. Don’t give up, don’t be discouraged. Your Heavenly
Father is working this out for the good of all of His children. He’s working it
out for YOUR good.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Breathe Life.
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