Sis. Karen Ministries

SERVE GREATLY

“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).

Great! Sometimes we can get so familiar with a word it becomes common and can run the risk of losing some its potency in our understanding. The word great is used in this passage to let us know that the Shunammite woman was a woman of wealth and that is true but God wanted me to really think about the woman and not what she possessed materially. Here are some really great – as in attributes of this Woman:

·       She perceived the anointing of God upon His Prophet Elishaand “constrained” or compelled (I don’t want to say begged but that’s what I’m thinking) him to dwell in her home...why? Elisha represented the WORD of God which she esteemed and wanted tobe in the presence of…that’s great!

·       She was respectful to her husband…great! Even though she wasanointed with perception she didn’t just start doing stuff without her husband’s blessing…with her husband’s blessing her whole house came into agreement. Unity is power and peace but “…a house divided against itself shall not stand” (Matt. 12:25).

·         Even though she was great (well-to-do) she was a servant…that’s great! When was the last time we served someone in the Body of Christ out of our abundance (or little) so their calling could be carried out from a place of rest and comfort? Even giving a Sunday School teacher a glass of water would not go unaccounted for (Reference, Matt. 10:42). Let’s not get so great in our own minds that we don’t serve.

·       She was content to look after the man of God…great! For her, she felt blessed just to be able to serve. How do I perceive this? When Elisha asked what she wanted she said she didn’t want anything (paraphrase of v. 13). 

Because of these great attributes in this woman (and I’m sure she had others) a holy conversation took place about her that she was not even aware of. Due to her respect for God and her cultivated relationship with Elisha and his servant, God revealed to them something that this woman didn’t have that all her substance or greatness couldn’t buy: a child!

I just want to stop right here and remind and encourage each of us that as we serve God in the beauty of holiness with the express purposes of pleasing Him and cultivating a beautiful relationship with Him, His blessings will flow in and through our lives without our even asking for them. God “knows the things we have need of before we even ask” (Matt. 6:8) and He not only supplies our needs but as we delight in Him He gives us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4)…now isn’t that great!

Throughout our lives there will be opportunities to extend ourselves to be used by God to serve in the name of Christ Jesus for His glory and for the edification of His Church. Serve with love, compassion, humility and joy and as we do I perceive that our lives in Christ Jesus will be great…not so much because of the great job we will do but because we serve The GREAT God (Jeremiah 32:18)!

Grateful,

Rev. Karen