Back on Track: The Restoration of the Lost

Sterling Heights, MI: January 2023

“Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

~ Lamentations 3:22-23 ~

We open our next lesson from Elisha with a little testimony time. Gehazi, the man who'd served Elisha, stood before the king, answering one request: to tell all of Elisha's miracles and exploits.

Gehazi was in the middle of his presentation when a woman approached the king with a request. When Gehazi recognized her, he drew from her history with Elisha. "My lord, O king, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Elisha restored to life." And when the king asked the woman, she told him (2 Kings 8:5b-6a).

This woman had been out of the country for seven years, at the direction of Elisha, who'd told her a famine would fall on the land for a time and she should take her family and live somewhere else until the famine had lifted. When the time came, she returned and went before the king to request that her land and home be restored to her. Her timing was perfect in that Gehazi was discussing how Elisha had raised her son to life after he died in her arms. After she'd confirmed Gehazi's story, the king issued orders for an official to ensure all that was hers be restored:

And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed an official for her, saying, "Restore all that was hers, together with all the produce of the fields from the day that she left the land until now." ~ 2 Kings 8:6 ~

In case you're wondering, this is the Shunammite woman who cared for the prophet Elisha when he came through her town. He'd learned that she and her husband had no children, and her husband was well on in years. To bless the woman, Elisha sought the Lord, and she was granted the one thing that would show her that God was pleased with her. A child. In that culture, to be without children was a cloak of shame on a woman. She'd told Elisha to not toy with her.

She didn't want her hopes to be raised only to be crushed. A year later, her son was born as the man of God had said. A few years later, however, the boy died in her arms. She laid him on Elisha's bed and went to bring him to her home. Before she did so, she reminded him how she didn't ask for this. Elisha sent her from his room and began to seek the Lord. And later, he took the boy and gave him back to his mother--alive.

Through the years, the woman must have continued ministering to Elisha's need for lodging and food. A friendship may have formed. And when Elisha knew food would become scarce, he warned her, saying,

"Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can, for the LORD has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years." So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God. She went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. And at the end of the seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to appeal to the king for her house and her land. ~ 2 Kings 8:1-4 ~ 

Her ability to trust the man of God is evident in her willingness to pick up her entire household and move to a foreign land. This is also indicative of her ability to trust the God of the man. I don't see any mention of her husband making the decision to move. It was her. A woman. And then seven years later, pull up stakes and move again, back to the land from where she came.

There's no mention of what the people thought of her. Only that she confirmed what Gehazi told the king, and the king responded by restoring her property--plus back pay.

This story feels familiar to me.

How many of us can say that?

Every day we're faced with decisions that can impact our friendships, family relationships, or financial situations. Often, we believe we're taking the path laid out by God. Then there are those moments, miles down the road, when we may wonder if our choices were our own path, attempting to "help" God fulfill a promise in our lives.  And we find the relationships we'd begun to cultivate years ago are now distant, but cordial. Friendly, yet missing that element of closeness we were once hoping to gain.

MetroBeach, Harrison Twp, MI 2022

I have, on occasion, reminisced about the time Jeff and I were going to move to West VA so he could attend Bible school. When announcing it to the family, some accused us of trying to cut them out. So we relented and stayed in Michigan. Later, we felt led to move across the state to Grand Rapids, but roadblocks prevented the move. Years passed. Children were born, grew, and are now young adults; and we are still planted in the SE corner of Michigan.

Through all of this, I have found myself questioning whether we'd missed our exit on the path God laid out. But as I read my Bible, including this story in 2 Kings 8, I am reminded of a few things:

• "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps" (Proverbs 16:9). 
• "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand" (Proverbs 19:21)

And if we do get off track, the Lord is faithful to redeem us as we repent and return to Him in humility and trust. 

• Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
• And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26)
• The Lord redeems the life of His servants; none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned. (Psalm 34:22)
• He sent out His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. (Psalm 107:20)
• And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. (Job 42:10)
• The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in Him." (Lamentations 3:22-24)
• I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. (Joel 2:25)

Every day we wake.

Every day we have an opportunity to start fresh.

Every day, we have choices. 

The best decision we could possibly make is to surrender and "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones (Proverbs 3:5-8).

Until next time, 💜 Karlene J 💜

Promise Made = Promise Kept

Courtesy Google Images

 When we were children, our parents would often promise amazing trips or other special activities, but were unable to deliver. As a child, the perception was not that they were unable to keep their promise, but that they were promise breakers. 

As I have grown into adulthood and parented my own set of children, I was also given some insight into the heart behind their promises--or my perception of what was likely their motive.

More often than not, parents want to do for their children far more than they are physically (or financially) able to. We will promise the moon if it breathes hope into those trusting little faces. And then the furnace needs replacing, the transmission in the car seizes, or some catastrophic event initiates a course of decisions out of the parents' control, and they find themselves unemployed.

At the heart of their promise was an intent to come through and a desire to bless.

I can tell you first-hand how one evil act can set a course of events, changing the trajectory of your life.

Our home from 1995 - 2018

Jeff had settled into the routine of an airline mechanic, enjoying all he got to do in the maintenance of airplanes before and after takeoff. We had begun to save for a house to move our little, growing family into (3 children, 7 years old and younger). Something more stable and solid than the 1,062 sq. ft home we'd been in. Then, in one morning, the entire world crashed to the ground in NYC and by the end of the week, Jeff was out of work. It was temporary, they said. But as time expanded, leaving him run from one temp job to another, I could see him lose hope.

Depression settled on his shoulders, slowing his pace. His health followed, leaving him incapable of maintenance on the home, and mentally unable to teach his sons. 

In all honesty, our lives began to look a lot like this:

Destroyed. Hopeless. Lifeless. Abandoned. There was no recovering what was lost. 

Our home from 1995 - 2018

That's what it felt like, anyway. 

My question was never how God had failed us. But how had we failed God that He would remove His hand of blessing from our lives? What had we missed?

These were the wrong questions. Instead, the answers were given as we reminisced, counting how many years Jeff had struggled with disability and ICU stays. Taking the time to remember how we were able to put food on the table with little to no income, when God put on the heart of a benevolent woman to offer her time to care for the children (at no charge) while I pursued my RN license (2013-2018). We were reminded to take time and give thanks for the church that provided Christmas gifts for the children, food from their pantry, and at one time, rescued our family from eviction and life on the streets, and the day I received a call from that church saying, "There's a gentleman coming to your home. Let him in. He's going to fix your furnace so you'll have heat this winter." 

I would be remiss if I forgot the times a job would be handed to me without my searching. Each job, a blessing and an open door for something beautiful. A relationship. A place to study in peace and quiet. Time to spend alone with the Lord, and hopefully allow Him to heal my wounded soul.

Home 2018 - 2023

In late 2018 (December 15) we left this home from which we'd seen so much heartache and started a new chapter.

While it is not my intent to make this about us, I feel as though I need to share a little backstory to show how good (and faithful) our God is. He has promised to provide (Philippians 4:9). And He has. In more ways than I dare detail here.

The view from our back window was Bethesda Christian Church (16 Mile/Schoenherr). A friend commented on the picture I'd taken, "The Cross will always lead you home."

View from Home 2018 - 2023

They are so right.

Which brings me to Elisha's story in 2 Kings 6:24-7:20.

Things for the Israelites looked bleak. They were under siege by the Syrian army. There was famine in the city. People had turned to cannibalism for sustenance (see v. 26-29). And the king blamed Elisha, demanding his execution (v. 31).

Elisha's response was not to cower in fear, but declared the promise of God. "Hear the word of the LORD: thus says the LORD, 'Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.'"

The king's servant mocked Elisha and God's ability to pull this off. And Elisha told him he'd see it happen, but would not partake.

There's a lesson to learn here. Some promises from God seem too unbelievable because of the magnitude of the problem. But if God created all things, He is more than able to do it again. James tells us that to ask with doubt in our hearts such as this servant, we shouldn't expect to receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6).

Then we see four men at the gate--lepers--who reason among themselves.

"Why are we sitting here until we die? If we say, 'Let us enter the city,' the famine is in the city and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die" (2 Kings 7:3b-4).

They had nothing to lose and everything to gain. So they went to the Syrian camp, finding it abandoned. At first, they collected gold and silver, and anything else they could hide for themselves. But again, reason triumphed, and they decided it would be more beneficial for them if they shared this treasure with the king in Samaria for Israel's gain.

The king, skeptical at first, sent men out to investigate, certain it was a trap set by the Syrians. The servant, however, still mocked and was ultimately trampled by the Israelite people rushing through the gates to gather food and supplies from the abandoned camp.

The lesson here? God always answers, always supplies. It is not up to us to decide how, when, or where He will do it.

💝 Just be open and grateful.💝

Here's a few Scriptures for you:

• For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him. That is why it is through Him that we utter our Amen to God for His glory (2 Corinthians 1:20).
• Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass (Joshua 21:45).
• He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1). 
• Now to Him who is able to far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us (Ephesians 3:20).
• And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
• And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all Grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you (1 Peter 5:10).
• But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).
• And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9).
• The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end (Lamentations 3:22).
• Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28, 29).

Take one (or find another in Scripture--there are so many) and meditate on it this week.

Until next time, 💝 Karlene J 💝