Faith that leads to healing
2 Kings 4:16-37
v30 “But the child’s mother said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.”
How often do we make plans of our own and get disappointed when things don’t work out our way? Sometimes we forget that God has a plan for our lives, and we try to control things that we clearly have no control over. American Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas has said, "You know, God has a plan for me, and I'm going to follow in His footsteps and just rejoice and be happy." As a college student, I constantly ask myself where I see myself going in the future. I try to picture where I think I will be five years from now. Although it’s good to set goals and work towards those goals, ultimately it is up to God as to where I will go and what I will do since His plans for me are greater than I could ever imagine. Especially considering what has happened in our country during the coronavirus pandemic, I can definitely say that I never thought I would be where I am today and I’m sure many others can agree. However, despite the obstacles I may face, and the hard times that may come, I remind myself that God makes no mistakes. A verse I like to reread is Jerimiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
In the passage of 2 Kings 4:16-37, we read about the Shunammite woman who cared for the prophet Elisha and gave him a place to stay and food to eat. In return, Elisha revealed to her that by the grace of God, she would bear a son. We can see from the woman’s reaction that she was completely in shock and disbelief since she had no children, and her husband was old. Verse 16 “No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!” Similar to the woman, sometimes when God reveals His plans for us, it can be hard to accept or even imagine it actually happening and coming to fruition. Afterward, the woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Later, the child died, and the woman went to find Elisha. The woman was in distress and said to Elisha “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?”. Elisha went to the home of the woman and prayed to the Lord and the boy awoke. Even though the woman was scared of being disappointed, in the end, everything happened the way it did so that the glory of God could be revealed. Similarly, God uses us for His purposes so that His power, grace, and love can be revealed to others through us. PRAYER
Father God, thank you for all that you’ve done for us. Help us to put our faith in you and remember that your plans for us are so much greater than our plans. Lead us wherever you want us to go. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand." - Proverbs 19:21
Steven Tom, St. James MTC, Hillburn, NY
Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church | 
