Forced Appreciation

2 Kings 4:8-37

Elisha was a mighty prophet of God that had a double portion of God's Spirit that had been on Elijah. When a Shunamite woman befriended Elisha by providing him with food and a place to stay while he journeyed, the Bible says that he called for her to ask what could be done for her. He offered that perhaps she would like for him to intercede on her behalf to the king or the commander of the army; favors or protection. She replied, "I dwell among my own people.", meaning she and her own would fend for themselves. So he asked his servant what she might desire and the servant mentioned that she had no son, as her husband was old. So he called to the woman and told her that by this time next year, she would bear a son. This immediately troubled her and she said to him, "No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your servant." But the following year she had a son, as he had spoken.

Years later, her son died and the shunamite woman sought after Elisha. When she found him, she fell to her knees before him, but God had hidden the reason from him and had not told him why she was grievous. This is uncommon for a prophet with a double portion of God's Spirit that was on Elijah! Why did God withhold this from him?

The woman asked him, "Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’" She was content with having been a blessing to Elisha without the return of favor. Yet Elisha felt the need to repay the kind deed and did so despite the woman's refusal. On a happy note; God restored the life of her son, and later on in chapter 8 she also received favors from the king of Israel.

It is apparent that the woman's main desire was to serve the man of God, as she neither asked nor welcomed any favor from Elisha. God did eventually bless her for her heart of service.

At the end of this experience, Elisha could have concluded a couple of things.

In his own logic:

It is important to seek God even in the realm of blessings. While we may be encouraged to bless someone in our lives, we can sometimes overstep our bounds by forcing our appreciation. The blessing then, even through the power of God, ultimately comes from us and not from God; and though at first meant to be a noble acknowledgement of appreciation, it ends up complicating the lives of those wanting to serve for the simplicity of serving...and that without repayment.

In God's wisdom:

Despite what I may think I understand, I followed the burden on my heart God had given me. God worked through me to call upon and bless the Shunamite woman for her service to Him, and though the gift was taken back, it was intended to reveal to the woman that it is God who ultimately blesses, not the prophet; and if that blessing should be coveted or merely taken for granted, God will reveal that He is the ultimate source of life even within the death of that gift, and He will reward all those with hearts of compassion towards the kingdom of heaven, despite the horrible losses we may suffer here on Earth. The difficult part of being God's servant or the recipient of His call is the readjustment of our perception of His wisdom and blessings.


PJR

"Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen."
(Romans 16:25-27)