“And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread” (2 Kings 4:8).
TEXT — 2 Kings 4:8-10
Message
We live in a busy world, swarmed with consuming activities. There is little room for thoughts about other people and their plight. And yet, without the care for others, life is incomplete. We bring meaning to life through the quality of compassion we express towards others, in practical terms.
The Shunammite woman in the text had more than enough reasons not to notice the needs of Prophet Elisha. For one, she was described as a great woman, most likely wealthy, prominent or influential. But she had a heart of gold. The first day she met Elisha who was transiting through her town, Shunem, she prevailed on him to come to her house for dinner. She and her family developed a close relationship with the prophet, so that each time he passed by, he stopped at their house for a meal. She apparently did not know, at least initially that Elisha was a prophet. But after relating with him at close quarters, she concluded that he was a man of God, who had become their regular guest.
Not satisfied with just hosting the man of God, she pleaded with her husband to prepare a room, well furnished and comfortable for the prophet to lodge in every time he was in town. Her family eventually became regular hosts to Elisha. Even when she realised who he was, she was content with hosting him without making any demands from him. She was so selfless. This caring heart later prompted the man of God to pray for her to have a child.
We must not allow the hustle and bustle of life to shut our eyes to the needs around us. Many people are going through tough times. The plight of those we relate with, especially servants of God who show us the way to eternal life, should not be overlooked.
Thought for the day
Hospitality lends a hand that triggers God’s blessings.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
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