Friday, May 17, 2013

Godly Mother

The following article is from Pastor Zac Poonen, entitled "The Amazing Faith of a Godly Mother".

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We read in 2 Kings 4:8-37 of a woman - a prominent, rich, wealthy and influential woman – who was also blessed by Elisha’s ministry. God does not choose only the poor and the illiterate and the uneducated to bless. He has no partiality. He chose an illiterate Peter, but He also chose a highly educated Paul. Peter did not know much of the Scriptures, but Paul was a scholar in the Scriptures. There were some rich women who supported Jesus and His disciples financially, and Jesus accepted their large gifts, because they were godly women (Lk.8:3).

Here was a wealthy woman who decided to support Elisha. She was a godly woman too, because when she saw this man visiting them occasionally, she said to her husband, “I perceive this is a holy man of God.” How did she recognize Elisha as a holy man of God without even listening to a single sermon of his? She just observed the way he conducted himself at the dining table. What an example for us! It is the little things that identify a godly man - the way he sits and talks to people, the way he eats his food and the way he conducts himself in ordinary matters. We don’t have to listen to his sermons.

So this woman decided to make a little guest-room in their house for Elisha to stay in - with a bed, a table, a chair and a light. Elisha had never even suggested that he needed any of these things. But she was a thoughtful, considerate woman - as all godly women are. God takes care of His servants by providing such places of rest for them, without their even expecting it. But a true man of God will never remain in debt to such people. So Elisha asked his servant Gehazi what he could do for her in return. Gehazi said that she had no children. So Elisha prayed for her and told her that she would have a child within a year. And she did.

That child grew up, and one day became sick and died (4:20). Think of the faith of this mother that she did not bury the child immediately but said, “Let me first contact the man of God” (4:25). So she went to meet Elisha. When Elisha saw her from a distance, he told Gehazi to ask her, “Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with your child?” (v.26), listen to the answer of faith that she gave concerning her dead child: “It is well.” What faith that was! Elisha went and prayed for that child and raised him from the dead. It’s amazing to see what that mother’s faith did for that child. According to her faith she received. That is why she finds mention in the gallery of the heroes of faith: “Women received back their dead by resurrection and gained the approval of God by their faith” (Heb.11:35, 39). If that mother did not have faith, she would have buried her child. What miracles the Lord does wherever He finds someone with faith.

4 comments:

  1. Off topic a little, and I did find this post to a be a blessing in it's own right, but speaking of resurrection of the dead... as we find ourselves here in the "latter days", am I the only one that has noticed that worldly examples of magic/miracles are boundless in deed/task today except for one task, they can never raise the dead? It's portrayed (for instance by the Genie in Disney's Aladdin) as something disgusting and detestable and that the secular laws of the universe abhor it. And I think it's for the very real reason that our faith in Christ is paramount on Jesus' resurrection from the dead.

    I thought it interesting that there ARE several other examples of resurrections through history other than Jesus, and that we should be mindful that God's miracles are all counted the same (as are our sins)... miracles are simply impossible tasks apart from God - be they walking on water, or parting the sea. But Satan would have us to believe that resurrections are impossible, when obviously, to well instructed Christians (in The Word), they simply are not.

    I'm thankful for this post for introducing another example of resurrection that I had not read about before.

    Many thanks for your blogging LDM, and may you receive many blessings on you and yours.

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    1. Hi Roger,

      I completely agree! If there is no resurrection from the dead then there is no hope for us (I Cor. 15:12-19).

      And the yearning we have even now for resurrected spiritual life even while we currently live in this earth; having crucified the flesh and being given newness of life in Him. Thank God for His resurrecting power!

      Thank you for sharing this reminder brother!

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  2. WOW! This is so edifying. Thank you for this.

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    1. I thought so too Tika! Boy, really made me rethink some of my thinking and what it means to have faith. To be able to look at circumstances that seem dismal and even DEAD yet still be at peace in the Lord and trust in Him completely.

      Pray you are well!

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