The God Who Restores Broken Dreams

Elisha and the Shunammite Woman

Elisha was a holy man of God. One day he went to a city called Shunem.  A Shunammite woman welcomed him into her home. She said to her husband, “This is a holy man of God and I want to welcome him into our home whenever he is in our city.” So she prepared a little room for Elisha and his servant Gehazi and whenever they were in Shunem, they stayed at her home.

Elisha was so touched by her kindness that as he lay down on his bed. He called over his servant. He said to him, “Gehazi, the Shunammite woman has been so kind to us. What can we do to repay her for all the kindness she has shown to us?”
Gehazi looked around and replied, “Well there are no children in this house and her husband is of an old age.” Elisha replied,” Call the Shunammite woman over here.” The Shunammite woman arrived. Elisha said to her, “This time next year you will give birth to a son.” She replied,” Please man of God do not build up my hopes as I have been let down so many times before.”
Twelve months later, it was as Elisha had predicted, the Shunammite woman became pregnant and gave birth to a beautiful son. For many years, she had wanted a child and now her happiness was complete.
The child grew up but one day when he was helping his dad in the fields, he suddenly fainted. The father called out to the mother. The mother arrived and gathered her son in her arms and after a while he died. She took him up stairs and laid him down on the bed of the man of God, hoping he would come back to life again but nothing happened.
In her extreme distress, she saddled her horse and rushed over to where the man of God lived.  As she arrived near his house, he saw she was in great distress and asked her what had happened.  She told him, “Didn’t I tell you not to build up my hopes, my son has died.”
The man of God sent his servant Gehazi with his cloak and with the instructions to put his cloak over the boy when he got there. Gehazi arrived at the house and did as he was instructed but nothing happened.
Then Elisha himself went over to the Shunammite’s woman house. He went alone upstairs to the room where the boy lay dead. Firstly, he prayed to his God. Then he lay down on the boy, face to face, mouth to mouth and eyes to eyes until the boy’s body grew warm. Elisha got off the boy and walked around the room. He then again stretched himself over the boy. The boy sneezed seven times and woke up. Elisha gave the boy to his mother.
My dear friend, today do you feel you are in a situation in which there seems to be no hope. God can give you hope. God can restore your broken dreams just as he did for the Shunammite woman by giving her a son and then raising her son from the dead.     (The full Story of Elisha and the Shunammite woman is found in 2 Kings Chapter 4 Verses 8-37) in the Bible.)

Dear God,
I put my trust in the God of Elisha.
Please restore everything that life has robbed me of,
Please restore my home,
Please restore my health,
Please restore all the
Relationships that have broken down in my life,
Please restore peace in my life.
I ask this Jesus’ name.
Amen.

By Harbajan (servant of Jesus) 04-08-2012