October 13
Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 4
Two women are pictured in this chapter, both of which deserve special mention when considering heroic characters of Scripture. The one was a widow in a dire situation. The other was a woman of prominence and substance, but lacking that which would make her feel whole. Both were obviously women of faith, and both had great confidence and respect for the “man of God.”
The widow’s husband had been one of the “sons of the prophets,” which was a school or training institution for those seeking to serve God in proclaiming truth. It is only in the Books of 1 and 2 Kings that we read of these men of God. Obviously the husband of this widow had left her and her sons in a dire situation upon his death, and she cried out to Elisha for help. The result of this plea was one of the great miracles of the Old Testament, a miracle that most of us have contemplated many times through the years. The Shunamite woman also had a need; two needs in fact. She was childless and in want of a child, a fact that she did not mention to the prophet. Then, later, her need was even greater after the death of that child that God had blessed her with.
The needs created in both of these women were great to them, and perhaps not understood at the time of their need. But these needs gave God the opportunity to do through them and for them a great work. They teach us that sometimes God allows needs to arise in our lives so that He can prove Himself to us and to those around us. Let’s learn to trust Him in our time of need.
Pastor Steve W. Smith