July 2, 2025 • 17 mins
In this Bible Story, God promises a child to a childless woman to reward her generous spirit. However, when the boy’s life was abruptly taken, all hope seems to disappear. Elisha lays over the child’s body, and by the grace of God his life was restored. This story is inspired by 2 Kings 4:8-37. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.
Today's Bible verse is 2 Kings 4:35 from the King James Version.
Episode 132: Naaman, a mighty warrior for Syria and beloved by his King, developed leprosy and his days in battle started becoming fewer. When an Israelite slave in Naaman’s house heard of his condition, she told of the prophet Elisha and how he could heal her master. At once Naaman requested permission from his king to visit this prophet in Israel. But when Elisha sent word for what he had to do to be clean, Naaman was outraged. However, his servant talked to him gently and he softened his heart to obey. And as he dipped into the waters of the Jordan; his heart and his body were made new.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray. Then he returned and walked in the
house to and fro, and went up and stretched himself
upon him, and the child sneezed seven times, and the
child opened his eyes. Second Kings four thirty five. There
are many things that I can call you, Lord, but
(00:22):
to day I want to acknowledge that you are the
God that brings life into seemingly dead things. Through Second
King's foe, I now realize that the same power that
ran through Elisha runs through me, and like him, I
choose to be a blessing wherever I go through my obedience,
(00:45):
create safe places for rest and rejuvenation. Give me uncommon
favor with others so that all my needs will be met.
As I walk in my purpose, when opportunities arise for
me to serve others, help me to be a dream
conduit for others so that they will be able to
(01:07):
experience your goodness in their lives. I choose to accept
the anointing that is needed to be a resource to
others and to be able to throw myself onto their
situation and watch you bring them to life. Thank you, Lord,
that I am a change agent through Christ Jesus. In
(01:30):
Jesus name, Amen. Thank you for praying with us today.
Continue your time with God by listening to today's Bible
story brought to you by Bible in a Year dot com.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
God promises a child. Last story, we witnessed the everyday
miracles of Elisha. He tended to the flock of God
with care and love. Elishah's reputation as a loving and
gentle prophet gave the common people of Israel, who now
we see yet another example of God's faithfulness through Elisha.
(02:18):
A rich woman is given a promise, all to see
it taken away from her. In the grief and sorrow,
God meets her and restores her to a place of gratitude.
Inspired by the Book of Second Kings.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Hello, I'm pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
Bible in a Year podcast. In the last episode, we
heard about four miracles God performed through the prophet Elisha.
Through these amazing signs, God was showing the people of
Israel that he could provide for their needs, cleanse what
was corrupted, and restore what is lost. And as he
(02:55):
traveled throughout the nation, Elisha was a prophet and a
pastor demonstrating God's caring heart for his people. Today will
witness how a wealthy woman extended kindness and care to Elisha.
And we'll see another example of God's power and promises
as the woman is given the sons she so desired.
(03:15):
But her happiness will be short lived and grief will
be visited upon her. But God will come through even
of the sadness and sorrow with kindness and care and
healing for the woman. Let's listen to this important story today.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Elijhah's reputation as a man of God preceded him wherever
he went. In each and every city, there were more
needs to be met and people to be cared for.
Elishah's young and vibrant energy was beginning to become slightly
more dim with age, yet his desire to serve and
protect the people of God was as strong as ever.
(03:51):
One day, Elishah was walking into the town of Shunham.
Whispers and mumbles of his arrival filled the town's streets,
and people came to him with many needs and many requests.
Elisha worked all day tending to the people. He loved
them dearly, but they tended to take more than they gave.
God strengthened Elisha's heart yet his body was weary. A
(04:14):
wealthy woman lived in the town and heard of Elisha's arrival.
She sent word for him to join her and her
family for a meal. They laughed, cried, and enjoyed one
another's company. Elisha felt welcomed and loved by the whole family.
They were a sweet comfort to his weary spirit. Elisha
continued to work in the town of Shannam. Day by
(04:35):
day he would minister to the needy and broken. From
time to time, Elishah would stop by the woman's home
again and have a meal with her family. Soon he
became very precious to her, her husband, and the servants
in her household. Soon the woman came to her husband
and said, Elisha is truly a man of God. Let
us build a small room for him on the roof.
(04:57):
We can put in a bed, a chair, a table,
and a lamp for him to feel at home. This
way he has a place to remain when he comes
into town. So her and her husband built the man
of God a room. They fed him, laughed with him,
and gave him a roof for his head. One day,
Elishah returned to Shannam. He spent the days sacrificing of
(05:19):
his time, energy, and wisdom in order to restore the
people to God. He was truly satisfied and truly tired.
He was thankful that he had a place to stay
and wanted to bless the family who had been so
hospitable to him. His servant, Gahazi, was beside him. What
shall we do in order to bless her? He asked,
(05:41):
Go and ask her what it is she desires. He said, so,
Gahazi went to the woman and inquired of what she
had need of. The woman smiled at the question. However,
her husband had been very good to her over the years,
and her family was very wealthy. She had need of nothing. However,
Gahazi I had noticed the woman had no children. Her
(06:02):
husband was advanced in years and was most likely not
long for this world. Perhaps she desired children but could
not have any. Gahaze returned to Elisha and said she
said she has need of nothing. But Gahaze paused, wondering
if he should continue. But what, Elisha asked, what does
she need? Well, she does not have a son and
(06:24):
her husband is old. Perhaps a son would give her
a sense of security and fulfillment, he said. Elishah smiled
and sent for the woman to come to him. The
woman came to the room and stood.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
At the doorway.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Elishah sat up in his chair and stared at the
woman for a while. She was a kind soul, and
the Lord desired to bless her. Elisha gave a large grin.
At this time next year, you will have a son
in your arms, he said, with a nod. The woman
paused for a moment, trying to process the words Elisha
had just spoken. She had given up on having children
(06:59):
long ago. Instead of a face of gladness, she looked
as though she was angry. Tears began to stream down
the woman's face. Do not deceive me, Man of God,
she cried, Do not get my hopes up. I cannot
bear it. The distress in her voice was palpable. Elisha
could sense that there had been years of heartache behind
this subject. He reassured her of the promise and then
(07:22):
left the next day back home. Sure enough, a year
had passed and the woman had a child. The boy
grew to be strong and independent. He filled her mother
and father with much joy. The woman had completely given
up on the hope of a child, but here he
was her miracle, her blessing from God. She watched as
(07:43):
he skipped in the field with his father, he loved
to help him work with the harvesters. She watched as
the young boy danced with the innocent joy only a
child possesses. Her heart swelled at the sight of him.
She watched as his joyous run turned into a jar.
Then he slowed down to a halt. His hand placed
(08:03):
firmly on his head. The boy fell to his knees,
clasping his head as though someone had just struck him.
His father turned and ran to him. My head hurts,
the boy screamed, my head hurts. He cried even louder.
One of the servants picked him up and ran him
to his mother. Her heart sank as she listened to
her boy's screams of pain. The sharp and piercing screams
(08:26):
eventually turned into a low and quiet sobbing. The woman
held her boy in her arms. She could feel his
breathing begin to shorten. His eyes closed as she stroked
his hair. His mumbling became faint and his body grew limp. Then,
around noontime, in his mother's arms, the child died. She
(08:47):
carried his lifeless body into the upper room where Elisha
once stayed. She laid him on the bed and shut
the door. She did not cry, She did not lay
down in defeat. Instead, there was an intensity welling up
inside her. She was angry yet hopeful. She was filled
with sorrow yet determination to have answers. She went to
(09:09):
her husband and said, have one of the servants saddle
me a donkey. Her husband tried to protest, but she
would hear none of it. Hurry, it will be all right.
So a servant saddled up a donkey for her and
prepared himself to travel with her. We must hurry, she said,
do not slow down unless I tell you. All day
and into the night, she rode. A somber determination fueled
(09:33):
her as she endured the cold and hunger. Soon she
was at Mount Carmel, where Elisha was. She saw him
at a distance. Slowly she approached him. A servant interrupted
her assent and said, is everything okay? I'm fine, she replied.
She looked ahead, determined to reach Elisha. Tired, hungry and thirsty,
(09:54):
she came to him. She fell to the ground before
him and caught hold of his feet. Frantically, she wailed.
Elisha's servant tried to pull her away, but Elishah stopped him.
Leave her alone. He said, her heart is in great pain. However,
the Lord has not shown me why. As he said this,
the woman's eyes darted up at him. Her brows were furrowed,
(10:17):
and her lips clenched together. Trembling. She pointed at him
and yelled, didn't I tell you not to deceive me
and get my hopes up? Her pain overflowed out of
her voice. Elisha could feel it deeply. Did I not
tell you I was fine? I did not ask for
a son. Elisha crouched down to her. She held her
(10:38):
for a moment and whispered, get prepared to travel. So
the two of them returned to her home and Shunem.
Elishah opened up the door to see the child lying
on the bed he once used as his own. He
closed the door so he and the child could be alone.
The room was silent. Elisha could feel the sorrow in
the room. The boy's lifeless body broke his heart. He
(11:01):
fell to his knees and prayed to God. He spoke
to God earnestly, as one does to a longtime friend.
Then he laid on top of the child's body. His
eyes were aligned with the boys, and he placed his
hands on his hands. As Elishah placed his body on
the boys, he could feel warmth being restored to him.
Elishah shot up and began to pace around the room.
(11:24):
He was not quite sure what the Lord was doing,
but he knew a miracle was about to unfold. He
laid on top of the boy again, praying to God
to restore his life. Then the silence was broken by
a loud sneeze. The boy sneezed again, then again, and again.
Seven times the boy sneezed, and the last time he
(11:46):
opened up his eyes. Elishah greeted the boy gently and
summoned the mother to come back in. She approached the
door as she once did when Elisha was staying with her,
only this time, instead of being given a promise of
a child, she was given her child back again. Gratitude
filled her heart to overflow him. God had restored that
(12:08):
which was lost.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
As we opened this passage, Elishah is continuing to go
about the Kingdom of Israel, caring for and ministering to
the people of God. He is a prophet and he
is also a pastor. A life of full time ministry
can be a tremendous blessing, but it can often be draining,
and having people who minister to you and care for
(12:33):
you is essential. This is what Elishah experienced in the
town of Shunam. Each time he would visit there, he
was welcomed in and fed by a wealthy woman. She
wanted to do as much as she could for the
man of God, so she and her husband built a
small room on the roof of their home just for Elisha.
Anytime he came, he had a private space with a bed,
(12:55):
a chair, and a table. This woman went above and
beyond in her generosity and her hospitality. What an incredible
blessing she was to Elisha. Elisha was very appreciative, of course,
and he wanted to repay the kindness of this woman
and her husband, so he inquired what she would ask
of him. She was a wealthy woman, though, so she
(13:18):
had no need of anything. Her generosity toward Elisha was
truly selfless and devoid of any ulterior motives. Still, Elisha
wanted to bless her, and upon finding out that she
had no children and her husband was older, he called
her to his room. As she stood in the doorway,
Elisha told her that within a year she would hold
her baby boy in her arms. It was more than
(13:41):
she could possibly imagine or understand. She was incredulous, but
just as Elisha had promised, God gave the woman a child.
The boy grew up to be strong, but one day
the child ran to his father in the fields with
a terrible pain in his head. He collapsed there in
the field and was rushed to his mother, who held
her precious child in her arms as he died. This
(14:05):
gift from God had been taken away just like that,
and once she knew exactly what to do and told
her husband to have a donkey's saddle for her. He
was doubtful, but she answered that she must go see
the man of God, Elisha. For this woman, going to
Elisha was her way of going to God himself, of
showing her trust in the faithfulness of God, the miracle
(14:27):
power of God. This prophet had healed and spoken in
God's name, so she knew that there was hope if
she turned to him. When loss, grief, tragedy, inexplicable, unexplainable
things come our way, we could choose to be bitter
and angry, or we can turn to God for comfort
(14:48):
and healing and strength. So this woman journeyed several hours
to find Elisha. So when he saw her coming, he
knew something must be wrong. When she reached Elisha, she
he fell at his feet and poured out her heart.
There was so much pain, confusion, anguish, tears. This all
streamed from this woman as she told Elisha that the
(15:10):
son that she had not even asked for, but who
had been brought to her with such joy, was now dead.
Elisha listened as she poured out her heart. Then, after
the woman said she would not leave his side, Elisha
went with her to her home. When they arrived, he
went up to the room where the boy lay, the
very room the woman had built for Elisha. He prayed
(15:33):
to the Lord and then lay over the boy's lifeless body.
Warmth returned to the child's dead body, and Elishah stood
and paced the room, then lay down again. Soon the
boy sneezed as the breath of life returned to his
lungs Our God is the God of the resurrection. The
Shinnamite woman received her child back into her arms and
(15:54):
was comforted by the God of healing, who never leaves
us or forsakes us even in our deepest song. Today
we are comforted by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He said,
I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me,
though he be dead, yet shall he live. There is
life now and forever in Jesus Christ. Trust in the
(16:16):
miracle of the resurrection and receive the miracle of God.
Dear God, how we thank you for this powerful story.
We know only you can bring life out of death.
Only you can revive our physical bodies, and only you
can breathe abundant life into our souls. Thank you for
your love for us, that you never leave us or
(16:38):
forsake us, and that you sent Jesus to come to
this earth to live a perfect life, to die on
the cross for our sins to rise again physically literally
from the grave, that we might have eternal life. And
we pray in His strong and mighty name. Amen. Thank
you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast us.
(17:00):
I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Let me encourage
you to download the Prey dot com app and always
make Bible reading and Bible study a priority in your life,
along with prayer. If you enjoyed this podcast, share it
with someone you love, let someone know, because by sharing
this podcast, you can truly make a difference in someone's life.
(17:22):
And if you want more resources from me, Jack Graham
as to how you can grow in your Christian life,
then go to Jack Graham dot org. That's Jack Graham
dot org. God bless you.
Let us pray. Then he returned and walked in the
house to and fro, and went up and stretched himself
upon him, and the child sneezed seven times, and the
child opened his eyes. Second Kings four thirty five. There
are many things that I can call you, Lord, but
(00:22):
to day I want to acknowledge that you are the
God that brings life into seemingly dead things. Through Second
King's foe, I now realize that the same power that
ran through Elisha runs through me, and like him, I
choose to be a blessing wherever I go through my obedience,
(00:45):
create safe places for rest and rejuvenation. Give me uncommon
favor with others so that all my needs will be met.
As I walk in my purpose, when opportunities arise for
me to serve others, help me to be a dream
conduit for others so that they will be able to
(01:07):
experience your goodness in their lives. I choose to accept
the anointing that is needed to be a resource to
others and to be able to throw myself onto their
situation and watch you bring them to life. Thank you, Lord,
that I am a change agent through Christ Jesus. In
(01:30):
Jesus name, Amen. Thank you for praying with us today.
Continue your time with God by listening to today's Bible
story brought to you by Bible in a Year dot com.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
God promises a child. Last story, we witnessed the everyday
miracles of Elisha. He tended to the flock of God
with care and love. Elishah's reputation as a loving and
gentle prophet gave the common people of Israel, who now
we see yet another example of God's faithfulness through Elisha.
(02:18):
A rich woman is given a promise, all to see
it taken away from her. In the grief and sorrow,
God meets her and restores her to a place of gratitude.
Inspired by the Book of Second Kings.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Hello, I'm pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
Bible in a Year podcast. In the last episode, we
heard about four miracles God performed through the prophet Elisha.
Through these amazing signs, God was showing the people of
Israel that he could provide for their needs, cleanse what
was corrupted, and restore what is lost. And as he
(02:55):
traveled throughout the nation, Elisha was a prophet and a
pastor demonstrating God's caring heart for his people. Today will
witness how a wealthy woman extended kindness and care to Elisha.
And we'll see another example of God's power and promises
as the woman is given the sons she so desired.
(03:15):
But her happiness will be short lived and grief will
be visited upon her. But God will come through even
of the sadness and sorrow with kindness and care and
healing for the woman. Let's listen to this important story today.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Elijhah's reputation as a man of God preceded him wherever
he went. In each and every city, there were more
needs to be met and people to be cared for.
Elishah's young and vibrant energy was beginning to become slightly
more dim with age, yet his desire to serve and
protect the people of God was as strong as ever.
(03:51):
One day, Elishah was walking into the town of Shunham.
Whispers and mumbles of his arrival filled the town's streets,
and people came to him with many needs and many requests.
Elisha worked all day tending to the people. He loved
them dearly, but they tended to take more than they gave.
God strengthened Elisha's heart yet his body was weary. A
(04:14):
wealthy woman lived in the town and heard of Elisha's arrival.
She sent word for him to join her and her
family for a meal. They laughed, cried, and enjoyed one
another's company. Elisha felt welcomed and loved by the whole family.
They were a sweet comfort to his weary spirit. Elisha
continued to work in the town of Shannam. Day by
(04:35):
day he would minister to the needy and broken. From
time to time, Elishah would stop by the woman's home
again and have a meal with her family. Soon he
became very precious to her, her husband, and the servants
in her household. Soon the woman came to her husband
and said, Elisha is truly a man of God. Let
us build a small room for him on the roof.
(04:57):
We can put in a bed, a chair, a table,
and a lamp for him to feel at home. This
way he has a place to remain when he comes
into town. So her and her husband built the man
of God a room. They fed him, laughed with him,
and gave him a roof for his head. One day,
Elishah returned to Shannam. He spent the days sacrificing of
(05:19):
his time, energy, and wisdom in order to restore the
people to God. He was truly satisfied and truly tired.
He was thankful that he had a place to stay
and wanted to bless the family who had been so
hospitable to him. His servant, Gahazi, was beside him. What
shall we do in order to bless her? He asked,
(05:41):
Go and ask her what it is she desires. He said, so,
Gahazi went to the woman and inquired of what she
had need of. The woman smiled at the question. However,
her husband had been very good to her over the years,
and her family was very wealthy. She had need of nothing. However,
Gahazi I had noticed the woman had no children. Her
(06:02):
husband was advanced in years and was most likely not
long for this world. Perhaps she desired children but could
not have any. Gahaze returned to Elisha and said she
said she has need of nothing. But Gahaze paused, wondering
if he should continue. But what, Elisha asked, what does
she need? Well, she does not have a son and
(06:24):
her husband is old. Perhaps a son would give her
a sense of security and fulfillment, he said. Elishah smiled
and sent for the woman to come to him. The
woman came to the room and stood.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
At the doorway.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Elishah sat up in his chair and stared at the
woman for a while. She was a kind soul, and
the Lord desired to bless her. Elisha gave a large grin.
At this time next year, you will have a son
in your arms, he said, with a nod. The woman
paused for a moment, trying to process the words Elisha
had just spoken. She had given up on having children
(06:59):
long ago. Instead of a face of gladness, she looked
as though she was angry. Tears began to stream down
the woman's face. Do not deceive me, Man of God,
she cried, Do not get my hopes up. I cannot
bear it. The distress in her voice was palpable. Elisha
could sense that there had been years of heartache behind
this subject. He reassured her of the promise and then
(07:22):
left the next day back home. Sure enough, a year
had passed and the woman had a child. The boy
grew to be strong and independent. He filled her mother
and father with much joy. The woman had completely given
up on the hope of a child, but here he
was her miracle, her blessing from God. She watched as
(07:43):
he skipped in the field with his father, he loved
to help him work with the harvesters. She watched as
the young boy danced with the innocent joy only a
child possesses. Her heart swelled at the sight of him.
She watched as his joyous run turned into a jar.
Then he slowed down to a halt. His hand placed
(08:03):
firmly on his head. The boy fell to his knees,
clasping his head as though someone had just struck him.
His father turned and ran to him. My head hurts,
the boy screamed, my head hurts. He cried even louder.
One of the servants picked him up and ran him
to his mother. Her heart sank as she listened to
her boy's screams of pain. The sharp and piercing screams
(08:26):
eventually turned into a low and quiet sobbing. The woman
held her boy in her arms. She could feel his
breathing begin to shorten. His eyes closed as she stroked
his hair. His mumbling became faint and his body grew limp. Then,
around noontime, in his mother's arms, the child died. She
(08:47):
carried his lifeless body into the upper room where Elisha
once stayed. She laid him on the bed and shut
the door. She did not cry, She did not lay
down in defeat. Instead, there was an intensity welling up
inside her. She was angry yet hopeful. She was filled
with sorrow yet determination to have answers. She went to
(09:09):
her husband and said, have one of the servants saddle
me a donkey. Her husband tried to protest, but she
would hear none of it. Hurry, it will be all right.
So a servant saddled up a donkey for her and
prepared himself to travel with her. We must hurry, she said,
do not slow down unless I tell you. All day
and into the night, she rode. A somber determination fueled
(09:33):
her as she endured the cold and hunger. Soon she
was at Mount Carmel, where Elisha was. She saw him
at a distance. Slowly she approached him. A servant interrupted
her assent and said, is everything okay? I'm fine, she replied.
She looked ahead, determined to reach Elisha. Tired, hungry and thirsty,
(09:54):
she came to him. She fell to the ground before
him and caught hold of his feet. Frantically, she wailed.
Elisha's servant tried to pull her away, but Elishah stopped him.
Leave her alone. He said, her heart is in great pain. However,
the Lord has not shown me why. As he said this,
the woman's eyes darted up at him. Her brows were furrowed,
(10:17):
and her lips clenched together. Trembling. She pointed at him
and yelled, didn't I tell you not to deceive me
and get my hopes up? Her pain overflowed out of
her voice. Elisha could feel it deeply. Did I not
tell you I was fine? I did not ask for
a son. Elisha crouched down to her. She held her
(10:38):
for a moment and whispered, get prepared to travel. So
the two of them returned to her home and Shunem.
Elishah opened up the door to see the child lying
on the bed he once used as his own. He
closed the door so he and the child could be alone.
The room was silent. Elisha could feel the sorrow in
the room. The boy's lifeless body broke his heart. He
(11:01):
fell to his knees and prayed to God. He spoke
to God earnestly, as one does to a longtime friend.
Then he laid on top of the child's body. His
eyes were aligned with the boys, and he placed his
hands on his hands. As Elishah placed his body on
the boys, he could feel warmth being restored to him.
Elishah shot up and began to pace around the room.
(11:24):
He was not quite sure what the Lord was doing,
but he knew a miracle was about to unfold. He
laid on top of the boy again, praying to God
to restore his life. Then the silence was broken by
a loud sneeze. The boy sneezed again, then again, and again.
Seven times the boy sneezed, and the last time he
(11:46):
opened up his eyes. Elishah greeted the boy gently and
summoned the mother to come back in. She approached the
door as she once did when Elisha was staying with her,
only this time, instead of being given a promise of
a child, she was given her child back again. Gratitude
filled her heart to overflow him. God had restored that
(12:08):
which was lost.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
As we opened this passage, Elishah is continuing to go
about the Kingdom of Israel, caring for and ministering to
the people of God. He is a prophet and he
is also a pastor. A life of full time ministry
can be a tremendous blessing, but it can often be draining,
and having people who minister to you and care for
(12:33):
you is essential. This is what Elishah experienced in the
town of Shunam. Each time he would visit there, he
was welcomed in and fed by a wealthy woman. She
wanted to do as much as she could for the
man of God, so she and her husband built a
small room on the roof of their home just for Elisha.
Anytime he came, he had a private space with a bed,
(12:55):
a chair, and a table. This woman went above and
beyond in her generosity and her hospitality. What an incredible
blessing she was to Elisha. Elisha was very appreciative, of course,
and he wanted to repay the kindness of this woman
and her husband, so he inquired what she would ask
of him. She was a wealthy woman, though, so she
(13:18):
had no need of anything. Her generosity toward Elisha was
truly selfless and devoid of any ulterior motives. Still, Elisha
wanted to bless her, and upon finding out that she
had no children and her husband was older, he called
her to his room. As she stood in the doorway,
Elisha told her that within a year she would hold
her baby boy in her arms. It was more than
(13:41):
she could possibly imagine or understand. She was incredulous, but
just as Elisha had promised, God gave the woman a child.
The boy grew up to be strong, but one day
the child ran to his father in the fields with
a terrible pain in his head. He collapsed there in
the field and was rushed to his mother, who held
her precious child in her arms as he died. This
(14:05):
gift from God had been taken away just like that,
and once she knew exactly what to do and told
her husband to have a donkey's saddle for her. He
was doubtful, but she answered that she must go see
the man of God, Elisha. For this woman, going to
Elisha was her way of going to God himself, of
showing her trust in the faithfulness of God, the miracle
(14:27):
power of God. This prophet had healed and spoken in
God's name, so she knew that there was hope if
she turned to him. When loss, grief, tragedy, inexplicable, unexplainable
things come our way, we could choose to be bitter
and angry, or we can turn to God for comfort
(14:48):
and healing and strength. So this woman journeyed several hours
to find Elisha. So when he saw her coming, he
knew something must be wrong. When she reached Elisha, she
he fell at his feet and poured out her heart.
There was so much pain, confusion, anguish, tears. This all
streamed from this woman as she told Elisha that the
(15:10):
son that she had not even asked for, but who
had been brought to her with such joy, was now dead.
Elisha listened as she poured out her heart. Then, after
the woman said she would not leave his side, Elisha
went with her to her home. When they arrived, he
went up to the room where the boy lay, the
very room the woman had built for Elisha. He prayed
(15:33):
to the Lord and then lay over the boy's lifeless body.
Warmth returned to the child's dead body, and Elishah stood
and paced the room, then lay down again. Soon the
boy sneezed as the breath of life returned to his
lungs Our God is the God of the resurrection. The
Shinnamite woman received her child back into her arms and
(15:54):
was comforted by the God of healing, who never leaves
us or forsakes us even in our deepest song. Today
we are comforted by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He said,
I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me,
though he be dead, yet shall he live. There is
life now and forever in Jesus Christ. Trust in the
(16:16):
miracle of the resurrection and receive the miracle of God.
Dear God, how we thank you for this powerful story.
We know only you can bring life out of death.
Only you can revive our physical bodies, and only you
can breathe abundant life into our souls. Thank you for
your love for us, that you never leave us or
(16:38):
forsake us, and that you sent Jesus to come to
this earth to live a perfect life, to die on
the cross for our sins to rise again physically literally
from the grave, that we might have eternal life. And
we pray in His strong and mighty name. Amen. Thank
you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast us.
(17:00):
I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Let me encourage
you to download the Prey dot com app and always
make Bible reading and Bible study a priority in your life,
along with prayer. If you enjoyed this podcast, share it
with someone you love, let someone know, because by sharing
this podcast, you can truly make a difference in someone's life.
(17:22):
And if you want more resources from me, Jack Graham
as to how you can grow in your Christian life,
then go to Jack Graham dot org. That's Jack Graham
dot org. God bless you.
Host
Jack Graham
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