Week 88, Day 5: It is Well

Today’s Reading:  2 Kings 4:1-44

Some thoughts from today’s reading…

In this chapter, we are shown a true picture of faith.  Elisha was shown kindness by a woman who was barren, and in return God blessed her with a son.  However, after the child had grown big enough to go with his father into the field, he got sick and died.  The widow took the young child, and put him on the bed that she had prepared for Elisha.

The woman called for her husband and asked for him to prepare a donkey and a servant to take her to meet Elisha.  What is very interesting is her own response to her husband’s questioning.  He asked why she would want to go to the man of God when it was not the New Moon nor the Sabbath.  She answered, “All is well.”  Why would she answer in such a way?  There are two possibilities.  Either she was simply able to accept the fact that her son was dead, or she was confident that the man of God could do something for her.  Because she left immediately to find Elisha, the second scenario seems to be the most logical.

When the woman found Elisha, she told him the very same thing.  When asked how she, her husband and her child was, she said, “All is well.”  She was about to tell Elisha that the boy was dead, and yet she was able to say that all was well.  This woman knew that Elisha was indeed the prophet of God, and knew that God was indeed powerful.  This child had been a gift from the Lord in a very special way, and she seems to have been convinced that he would not be taken away from her at such a young age.  In 2 Kings 4:28, she reminded Elisha that she never asked for the child, and she asked for Elisha to not deceive her concerning the birth of a child.  Elisha took pity upon her, and worked to raise the child from the dead, restoring him to his mother.

When we have the proper spiritual perspective, we can have the same kind of faith that this woman showed.  We are not going to expect God to send a prophet to raise a dead child, but we can still have the attitude that “All is well.”  We have a hymn entitled It is Well With My Soul that conveys this same type of sentiment.  All can be well with us, regardless of the circumstances that we face, because we know what is awaiting us.  We know that if we remain faithful to God in this life, there is a greater, eternal life that awaits us.  This enables us to have a peace that is beyond understanding (Philippians 4:7).  This explains why Christians have been able to face great persecution, and tribulations, and remain faithful.  Even if our lives are threatened, or taken, we know that our salvation is sure.  All is well.

Question:  Is there anything in this life that should threaten our peace in Christ?

Popularity: 2% [?]

Week 32, Day 2: Sacrifice Your Son!

Today’s Reading:  Genesis 22:1-24

Some thoughts from the reading…

In Genesis chapter 21, we saw the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah in the blessing of their son, Isaac.  In chapter 22, God demands the unthinkable of Abraham–that he take his son of promise and offer him as a burnt offering to God.  Think of how much God required of Abraham.  Often, we consider this passage from the standpoint of a parent and question our own faith:  would we be able to go through with what God demanded, just as Abraham did?  That is a difficult question to ponder, and we can certainly be thankful that God is not going to ask such of us.  However, there was much more at stake for Abraham than just the losing of a son, though that would have been difficult enough.  Consider that Abraham had to take into account that he was going to possibly lose all of the promises that God had made (a great nation, a great land, and that all nations would be blessed through his seed).  How could God possibly fulfill those things, if he were to kill the son of promise?  Abraham thought about this, and according to the Hebrew writer, decided that God could raise Isaac up from the dead if he were to slay him as a sacrifice to God (Hebrews 11:17-19).

Consider how much faith Abraham had to have!  He trusted so fully in God that he was willing to do whatever God required, and it didn’t matter that it made no sense from the human perspective.  Abraham had already seen God provide for him in ways that didn’t make sense from a human standpoint.  The mere fact that he even had Isaac was proof that God could do whatever He decided to do.  Abraham was fully convinced.  This seems to be exactly what God was testing for in Abraham.  In Genesis 22:12, God told Abraham that He now knew that Abraham feared Him.  Abraham had proven himself!

It is comforting to know that God will not ask us to kill our children.  However, God has clearly told us that we must put Him first, and that means even before our fleshly families.  We have a responsibility to serve God, regardless of what others (including those in our families) might do!  We can certainly be tested, at least in principle, in similar ways to Abraham.  If we must choose between our family and God, which will we choose?  Are we truly willing to be obedient to God, no matter what the consequence?  We may hope that we never have to make such decisions, but we often are tested as to where our priorities lie.  It is our responsibility, no matter the circumstances, to make sure that we have our priorities in line, with God at the top.  If we do that, then the rest will certainly fall into place!

Abraham’s faith should be a great encouragement to us.  We should be able to see the way that he chose to serve God, no matter the cost, and realize that God wants the same kind of commitment and faith from us today.  Seek Him first, and He will see that you have all that you need (Matthew 6:33)!

Popularity: unranked [?]