Shunammite woman

Again, service at the dreamcenter spoke right to my heart. I knew I had to surround myself in worship last night, and I did. loved the songs that were played. 

Pastor Steve Kelley, a former associate pastor of Hillsong Church Sydney, now pastoring the Wave Church @ Virginia Beach, VA, spoke. And wow, did he speak words of life. The spirit of increase. Expansion. 

2 Kings 4: 8-37 - The story of the Shunammite woman who received a word from Elisha, conceived and bore a son, son dies one day in the field, she then looks for Elisha, Elisha revives the dead boy--lying on top of him, mouth-to-mouth, eye-to-eye, hand-to-hand. 

1) The timing of God

2 Kings 4

¹⁸ The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers.¹⁹ "My head! My head!" he said to his father. His father told a servant, "Carry him to his mother." ²⁰ After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. ²¹ She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.

 ²² She called her husband and said, "Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return."

 ²³ "Why go to him today?" he asked. "It's not the New Moon or the Sabbath." 
      "It's all right," she said.

It wasn’t a New Moon, Sabbath, conference, healing meeting, church service. there was no angelic visitation. No ‘occasion’ for that miracle. Truth is, too many of us are just waiting for a word from God, waiting to for God to move in a tangible way, waiting for that timing of God. In the story, it was just a normal day when the Shunammite woman’s son fell dead.

The timing of God is not about all these things, events. It’s about being faithful in everyday life. It is found in doing what is put before you today. Earlier in the chapter:

2 Kings 4

⁸ One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. ⁹ She said to her husband, "I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. ¹⁰ Let's make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us."

The Shunammite woman, she was faithful in doing what she was called to do—to feed that Man of God.

2) Prophets or anointed are sent

Elisha, the prophet with the anointing of God, was sent to the Shunammite woman.

3) Shunam

Shunam was a border town to the main town that Elisha eventually rested—Mount Carmel. And Shunam means “uneven place”. Elisha, the anointing, was passing through. The anointing was passing through. Passing through.

Meaning the woman, was living on the edge of her breakthrough (on the border town of Mount Carmel where Elisha, the anointing, was). But she wanted the anointing in her house.

2 Kings 4

¹⁰ Let's make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us."

She wanted the anointing right where she was.

Push against the limitations, the smallness. There’s an anointing coming our way, but it won’t stay there, we have to push our limitations. Do we want God passing through? Or do we want Him living here?

4) She starts feeding the prophet, feeding the anointing

Whatever you feed, COMES BACK. 

5) Elisha wants to give back/ paycheck

Whatever you sow, you will reap. If you sow good seed, you reap good seed. He’s going to mark your kids, your family, everything you do. 

6) She says she doesn’t have need of anything

She didn’t know she was in need. It’s the saddest thing if you are in need, but you don’t know you’re in need.

BUT.

Gehazi could see her need. Aren’t we glad that God sees the needs that we don’t see? What grace.

2 Kings 4

¹¹ One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. ¹² He said to his servant Gehazi, "Call the Shunammite." So he called her, and she stood before him. ¹³ Elisha said to him, "Tell her, 'You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?' " 
      She replied, "I have a home among my own people."

¹⁴ "What can be done for her?" Elisha asked. 
      Gehazi said, "Well, she has no son and her husband is old."

That’s her need right there. Gehazi – “seer in the low places”.

So thank God that He can see me even when I’m in the low places, when I’m so disqualified—He qualifies me.

7) The child grew up, and went out to his father with the reapers

The child represents “potential”. As we continue feeding the anointing, our child grows up. Our potential reaches maturity (the child helps out in the harvest).

BUT

It is when your potential is growing fuller when it’s under attack the most. (WOW) 

2 Kings 4

¹⁸ The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers.¹⁹ "My head! My head!" he said to his father. 
      His father told a servant, "Carry him to his mother." ²⁰ After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. ²¹ She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.

So what do you do?

2 Kings 4

²¹ She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.

The Shunammite woman CARRIED HER POTENTIAL TO THE PLACE WHERE SHE PUSHED.
She lay the boy on the couch that she prepared for Elisha. She put her ‘dead’ potential into the place where she made room for God. Where she pushed. (WOW)

2 Kings 4

 ²⁴ She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, "Lead on; don't slow down for me unless I tell you." ²⁵ So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. 
      When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, "Look! There's the Shunammite! ²⁶ Run to meet her and ask her, 'Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?' " 
      "Everything is all right," she said.

She didn’t believe that the boy was dead. She didn’t believe that her potential was gone. Everything is all right. And she placed her potential to the place where she made room for God. It doesn’t matter what your situation is, it matters what you believe.

2 Kings 4

³² When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. ³³ He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the LORD. ³⁴ Then he got on the bed and lay upon the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out upon him, the boy's body grew warm. ³⁵ Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.

Back at her home, the prophet (the anointing) stretched over the boy. The Shunammite woman laid her lost potential under leadership. (WOW)

So how do you know if your potential is under covering?

Eye to eye: when you see things the way your leader sees things

Mouth to mouth: when you say things the way your leader says things

Heart to heart: when you have a heart for the things that your leader has a heart for.

And then, my potential will RISE.

* 

That spoke volumes to me, and answered my every hurting need. Check out the real deal:

Pastor Steve Kelley @ Angelus Temple:

http://dreamcenter.org/dcLive/OnDemand/4-2-09.html

I won't be able to say it any better.