This post is Day 12 in a series of studies about “Babies and Children”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

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Babies and Children – Day 12

Elisha was discussing with his servant one day and Gehazi suggested that the only thing this couple did not have was children. One quick prophetic word from this man of God was all it needed. Within a year she gave birth to a boy. What joy that must have been.

2 Kings 4:16

About this time next year, Elisha said, you will hold a son in your arms.

The Thought

This prophecy given by the prophet Elisha to the Shunammite woman was not immediately accepted. She was married to an older man, and was comfortably well off (v8). We don’t have any details abut how this lady met the prophet. But she obviously offered him a meal at some point. That led to a long term relationship between Elisha and the couple, who built an extra room in the attic of their house so that Elisha could stay whenever he was in the area.

Naturally the prophet wanted to repay the couple for this blessing. Elisha was discussing that with his servant one day and Gehazi suggested that the only thing this couple didn’t have was children. And the woman’s greatest desire was for a child. One quick prophetic word from this man of God was all it needed. Within a year she gave birth to a boy. What a joy that must have been for that couple.

Inviting godly people for a meal can lead to surprising miracles. Hebrews 13:2 tells us Do not forget to open your home to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

Many of us open our homes to friends and family, but inviting strangers in would be a challenge, and thinking that angels might arrive would be scary!

The boy’s birth was a great blessing to this couple, but the miracle that followed was much more. Elisha raised him from the dead (v35)!

Action

Read 2 Kings 4 today and be blessed by the miracles that happened to this godly woman.

Pray for anyone you know who is desiring to start a family.

Ask yourself what you think about opening your home to strangers. For some of us it is easy, because we have the gift of hospitality, for others it is a challenge.

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