Latest / Bible in a Year with Jack Graham / God Promises a Child

Transcript

God Promises a Child · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Then he returned and walked in the house to and fro,
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: and went up and stretched himself upon him. And the
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: 2 Kings 4.35 There are many things that I can
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: call you, Lord. But today I want to acknowledge that
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: you are the God that brings life into seemingly dead things.
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: Through 2 Kings 4.35 I now realize that the same
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: power that ran through Elisha runs through me. And like him,
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: I choose to be a blessing wherever I go. Through
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: my obedience, create safe places for rest and rejuvenation. Give
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: me uncommon favor with others so that all my needs
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: will be met as I walk in my purpose. When
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: opportunities arise for me to serve others, Help me to
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: be a dream conduit for others so that they will
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: be able to experience your goodness in their lives. I
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: choose to accept the anointing that is needed to be
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: a resource to others and to be able to throw
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: myself onto their situation and watch you bring them to life.
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: Thank you, Lord, that I am a change agent through
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: Christ Jesus. In Jesus' name.
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: Amen.
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: Thank you for praying with us today. Continue your time
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: with God by listening to today's Bible story. Brought to
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: you by BibleInAYear.com.
• 1:54
  Speaker 3: God promises a child. In our last story, we witnessed
• 1:59
  Speaker 3: the everyday miracles of Elisha. He tended to the flock
• 2:03
  Speaker 3: of God with care and love. Elisha's reputation as a
• 2:06
  Speaker 3: loving and gentle prophet gave the common people of Israel hope.
• 2:11
  Speaker 3: Now we see yet another example of God's faithfulness through Elisha.
• 2:15
  Speaker 3: A rich woman is given a promise, all to see
• 2:18
  Speaker 3: it taken away from her. In the grief and sorrow,
• 2:21
  Speaker 3: God meets her and restores her to a place of gratitude,
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: inspired by the book of Second Kings.
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: Hello, I'm Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: in a Year podcast. But before we begin, I want
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: to let you know about a unique e-book that's yours
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: to download absolutely free today. It's called Breaking Free from Stress,
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: and my prayer is that it will help you conquer
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: the daily tasks and pressures and burdens that bring stress
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: in your life. Download your free copy of Breaking Free
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: from Stress today by visiting jackgram.org slash stress. That's jackgram.org
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: slash stress. In the last episode, we heard about four
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: miracles God performed through the prophet Elisha. Through these amazing signs,
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: God was showing the people of Israel that he could
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: provide for their needs, cleanse what was corrupted, and restore
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: what is lost. And as he traveled throughout the nation,
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: Elisha was a prophet and a pastor, demonstrating God's caring
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: heart for his people. Today, we'll witness how a wealthy
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: woman extended kindness and care to Elisha. And we'll see
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: another example of God's power and promises as the woman
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: is given the son she so desired. But her happiness
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: will be short-lived and grief will be visited upon her.
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: But God will come through even in the sadness and
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: sorrow with kindness and care. and healing for the woman.
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: Let's listen to this important story today.
• 3:56
  Speaker 3: Elisha's reputation as a man of God preceded him wherever
• 4:00
  Speaker 3: he went. In each and every city, there were more
• 4:03
  Speaker 3: needs to be met and people to be cared for.
• 4:06
  Speaker 3: Elisha's young and vibrant energy was beginning to become slightly
• 4:10
  Speaker 3: more dim with age. Yet his desire to serve and
• 4:13
  Speaker 3: protect the people of God was as strong as ever.
• 4:16
  Speaker 3: One day, Elisha was walking into the town of Shunem.
• 4:20
  Speaker 3: Whispers and mumbles of his arrival filled the town streets,
• 4:24
  Speaker 3: and people came to him with many needs and many requests.
• 4:27
  Speaker 3: Elisha worked all day tending to the people. He loved
• 4:31
  Speaker 3: them dearly, but they tended to take more than they gave.
• 4:35
  Speaker 3: God strengthened Elisha's heart, yet his body was weary. A
• 4:39
  Speaker 3: wealthy woman lived in the town and heard of Elisha's arrival.
• 4:43
  Speaker 3: She sent word for him to join her and her
• 4:46
  Speaker 3: family for a meal. They laughed, cried, and enjoyed one
• 4:49
  Speaker 3: another's company. Elisha felt welcomed and loved by the whole family.
• 4:54
  Speaker 3: They were a sweet comfort to his weary spirit. Elisha
• 4:58
  Speaker 3: continued to work in the town of Shunem. Day by
• 5:01
  Speaker 3: day he would minister to the needy and broken. From
• 5:04
  Speaker 3: time to time Elisha would stop by the woman's home
• 5:07
  Speaker 3: again and have a meal with her family. Soon he
• 5:10
  Speaker 3: became very precious to her, her husband, and the servants
• 5:13
  Speaker 3: in her household. Soon the woman came to her husband
• 5:16
  Speaker 3: and said, Elisha is truly a man of God. Let
• 5:20
  Speaker 3: us build a small room for him on the roof.
• 5:23
  Speaker 3: We can put in a bed, a chair, a table,
• 5:26
  Speaker 3: and a lamp for him to feel at home. This
• 5:28
  Speaker 3: way he has a place to remain when he comes
• 5:31
  Speaker 3: into town. So her and her husband built the man
• 5:34
  Speaker 3: of God a room. They fed him, laughed with him,
• 5:37
  Speaker 3: and gave him a roof for his head. One day
• 5:40
  Speaker 3: Elisha returned to Shunem. He spent the days sacrificing of
• 5:45
  Speaker 3: his time, energy, and wisdom in order to restore the
• 5:48
  Speaker 3: people to God. He was truly satisfied and truly tired.
• 5:54
  Speaker 3: He was thankful that he had a place to stay
• 5:56
  Speaker 3: and wanted to bless the family who had been so
• 5:58
  Speaker 3: hospitable to him. His servant Gehazi was beside him.' What
• 6:03
  Speaker 3: shall we do in.
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: Order to bless her?
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: he asked.
• 6:06
  Speaker 3: Go and ask her what it is she desires,' he said.
• 6:10
  Speaker 3: So Gehazi went to the woman and inquired of what
• 6:13
  Speaker 3: she had need of. The woman smiled at the question. However,
• 6:17
  Speaker 3: her husband had been very good to her over the years,
• 6:20
  Speaker 3: and her family was very wealthy. She had need of nothing. However,
• 6:25
  Speaker 3: Gehazi had noticed the woman had no children. Her husband
• 6:28
  Speaker 3: was advanced in years and was most likely not long
• 6:31
  Speaker 3: for this world. Perhaps she desired children but could not
• 6:35
  Speaker 3: have any. Gehazi returned to Elisha and said, She said
• 6:39
  Speaker 3: she has need of nothing, but... Gehazi paused, wondering if
• 6:43
  Speaker 3: he should continue. But what? Elisha asked. What does she need? Well,
• 6:48
  Speaker 3: she does not have a son, and her husband is old.
• 6:52
  Speaker 3: Perhaps a son would give her a sense of security
• 6:54
  Speaker 3: and fulfillment, he said. Elisha smiled and sent for the
• 6:58
  Speaker 3: woman to come to him. The woman came to the
• 7:01
  Speaker 3: room and stood at the doorway. Elisha sat up in
• 7:04
  Speaker 3: his chair and stared at the woman for a while.
• 7:07
  Speaker 3: She was a kind soul, and the Lord desired to
• 7:10
  Speaker 3: bless her. Elisha gave a large grin. At this time
• 7:14
  Speaker 3: next year you will have a son in your arms,
• 7:17
  Speaker 3: he said with a nod. The woman paused for a moment,
• 7:20
  Speaker 3: trying to process the words Elisha had just spoken. She
• 7:24
  Speaker 3: had given up on having children long ago. Instead of
• 7:27
  Speaker 3: a face of gladness, she looked as though she was angry.
• 7:30
  Speaker 3: Tears began to stream down the woman's face. Do not
• 7:33
  Speaker 3: deceive me, man of God, she cried. Do not get
• 7:36
  Speaker 3: my hopes up. I cannot bear it. The distress in
• 7:39
  Speaker 3: her voice was palpable. Elisha could sense that there had
• 7:43
  Speaker 3: been years of heartache behind this subject. He reassured her
• 7:46
  Speaker 3: of the promise and then left the next day back home.
• 7:51
  Speaker 3: Sure enough, a year had passed and the woman had
• 7:53
  Speaker 3: a child. The boy grew to be strong and independent.
• 7:57
  Speaker 3: He filled her mother and father with much joy. The
• 8:01
  Speaker 3: woman had completely given up on the hope of a child,
• 8:04
  Speaker 3: but here he was, her miracle, her blessing from God.
• 8:08
  Speaker 3: She watched as he skipped in the field with his father.
• 8:11
  Speaker 3: He loved to help him work with the harvesters. She
• 8:14
  Speaker 3: watched as the young boy danced with the innocent joy
• 8:17
  Speaker 3: only a child possesses. Her heart swelled at the sight
• 8:21
  Speaker 3: of him. She watched as his joyous run turned into
• 8:25
  Speaker 3: a jog. Then he slowed down to a halt, his
• 8:29
  Speaker 3: hand placed firmly on his head The boy fell to
• 8:31
  Speaker 3: his knees, clasping his head as though someone had just
• 8:34
  Speaker 3: struck him. His father turned and ran to him.' My
• 8:38
  Speaker 3: head hurts!' the boy screamed.' My head hurts!' he cried
• 8:42
  Speaker 3: even louder. One of the servants picked him up and
• 8:44
  Speaker 3: ran him to his mother. Her heart sank as she
• 8:47
  Speaker 3: listened to her boy's screams of pain. The sharp and
• 8:51
  Speaker 3: piercing screams eventually turned into a low and quiet sobbing.
• 8:56
  Speaker 3: The woman held her boy in her arms. She could
• 8:59
  Speaker 3: feel his breathing begin to shorten. His eyes closed as
• 9:02
  Speaker 3: she stroked his hair. His mumbling became faint, and his
• 9:06
  Speaker 3: body grew limp. Then, around noontime, in his mother's arms,
• 9:11
  Speaker 3: the child died. She carried his lifeless body into the
• 9:15
  Speaker 3: upper room where Elisha once stayed. She laid him on
• 9:18
  Speaker 3: the bed and shut the door. She did not cry.
• 9:22
  Speaker 3: She did not lay down and defeat. Instead, there was
• 9:26
  Speaker 3: an intensity welling up inside her, She was angry, yet hopeful.
• 9:30
  Speaker 3: She was filled with sorrow, yet determination to have answers.
• 9:35
  Speaker 3: She went to her husband and said, Have one of
• 9:37
  Speaker 3: the servants saddle me a donkey. Her husband tried to protest,
• 9:41
  Speaker 3: but she would hear none of it. Hurry, it will
• 9:44
  Speaker 3: be all right. So a servant saddled up a donkey
• 9:47
  Speaker 3: for her and prepared himself to travel with her. We
• 9:50
  Speaker 3: must hurry, she said. Do not slow down unless I
• 9:53
  Speaker 3: tell you. All day and into the night she rode.
• 9:57
  Speaker 3: A somber determination fueled her as she endured the cold
• 10:00
  Speaker 3: and hunger. Soon she was at Mount Carmel where Elisha was.
• 10:05
  Speaker 3: She saw him at a distance. Slowly she approached him.
• 10:08
  Speaker 3: A servant interrupted her ascent and said, Is everything okay?
• 10:13
  Speaker 3: I'm fine, she replied. She looked ahead, determined to reach Elisha. Tired,
• 10:19
  Speaker 3: hungry and thirsty, She came to him. She fell to
• 10:22
  Speaker 3: the ground before him and caught hold of his feet.
• 10:25
  Speaker 3: Frantically she wailed. Elisha's servant tried to pull her away,
• 10:29
  Speaker 3: but Elisha stopped him. Leave her alone, he said. Her
• 10:33
  Speaker 3: heart is in great pain. However, the Lord has not
• 10:36
  Speaker 3: shown me why. As he said this, the woman's eyes
• 10:40
  Speaker 3: darted up at him. Her brows were furrowed and her
• 10:43
  Speaker 3: lips clenched together, trembling. She pointed at him and yelled,
• 10:47
  Speaker 3: Didn't I tell you not to deceive me and get
• 10:49
  Speaker 3: my hopes up? Her pain overflowed out of her voice.
• 10:53
  Speaker 3: Elisha could feel it deeply. Did I not tell you
• 10:56
  Speaker 3: I was fine? I did not ask for a son.
• 11:00
  Speaker 3: Elisha crouched down to her. She held her for a
• 11:04
  Speaker 3: moment and whispered, Get prepared to travel. So the two
• 11:08
  Speaker 3: of them returned to her home in Shunem. Elisha opened
• 11:12
  Speaker 3: up the door to see the child laying on the
• 11:13
  Speaker 3: bed he once used as his own. He closed the
• 11:17
  Speaker 3: door so he and the child could be alone. The
• 11:20
  Speaker 3: room was silent. Elisha could feel the sorrow in the room.
• 11:24
  Speaker 3: The boy's lifeless body broke his heart. He fell to
• 11:27
  Speaker 3: his knees and prayed to God. He spoke to God earnestly,
• 11:31
  Speaker 3: as one does to a longtime friend. Then he laid
• 11:35
  Speaker 3: on top of the child's body. His eyes were aligned
• 11:38
  Speaker 3: with the boy's, and he placed his hands on his hands.
• 11:42
  Speaker 3: As Elisha placed his body on the boy's, he could
• 11:44
  Speaker 3: feel warmth being restored to him. Elisha shot up and
• 11:48
  Speaker 3: began to pace around the room, He was not quite
• 11:51
  Speaker 3: sure what the Lord was doing, but he knew a
• 11:54
  Speaker 3: miracle was about to unfold. He laid on top of
• 11:57
  Speaker 3: the boy again, praying to God to restore his life.
• 12:01
  Speaker 3: Then the silence was broken by a loud sneeze. The
• 12:06
  Speaker 3: boy sneezed again, then again, then again. Seven times the
• 12:10
  Speaker 3: boy sneezed, and the last time he opened up his eyes.
• 12:14
  Speaker 3: Elisha greeted the boy gently and summoned the mother to
• 12:17
  Speaker 3: come back in. she approached the door as she once
• 12:20
  Speaker 3: did when Elisha was staying with her. Only this time,
• 12:24
  Speaker 3: instead of being given a promise of a child, she
• 12:27
  Speaker 3: was given her child back again. Gratitude filled her heart
• 12:30
  Speaker 3: to overflowing. God had restored that which was lost.
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: As we open this passage, Elisha is continuing to go
• 12:41
  Speaker 2: about the kingdom of Israel, caring for and ministering to
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: the people of God. He is a prophet, and he
• 12:48
  Speaker 2: is also a pastor. A life of full-time ministry can
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: be a tremendous blessing, but it can often be draining,
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: and having people who minister to you and care for
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: you is essential. This is what Elisha experienced in the
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: town of Shunem. Each time he would visit there, he
• 13:06
  Speaker 2: was welcomed in and fed by a wealthy woman. She
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: wanted to do as much as she could for the
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: man of God, so she and her husband built a
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: small room on the roof of their home just for Elisha.
• 13:18
  Speaker 2: Anytime he came, he had a private space with a bed,
• 13:21
  Speaker 2: a chair, and a table. This woman went above and
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: beyond in her generosity and her hospitality. What an incredible
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: blessing she was to Elisha. Elisha was very appreciative, of course,
• 13:35
  Speaker 2: and he wanted to repay the kindness of this woman
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: and her husband So he inquired what she would ask
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: of him. She was a wealthy woman, though, so she
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: had no need of anything. Her generosity toward Elisha was
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: truly selfless and devoid of any ulterior motives. Still, Elisha
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: wanted to bless her, and upon finding out that she
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: had no children and her husband was older, he called
• 13:58
  Speaker 2: her to his room. As she stood in the doorway,
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: Elisha told her that within a year she would hold
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: her baby boy in her arms. It was more than
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: she could possibly imagine or understand. She was incredulous, but
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: just as Elisha had promised, God gave the woman a child.
• 14:16
  Speaker 2: The boy grew up to be strong, but one day
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: the child ran to his father in the fields with
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: a terrible pain in his head. He collapsed there in
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: the field and was rushed to his mother, who held
• 14:27
  Speaker 2: her precious child in her arms as he died. This
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: gift from God had been taken away just like that.
• 14:34
  Speaker 2: At once she knew exactly what to do and told
• 14:37
  Speaker 2: her husband to have a donkey saddle for her. He
• 14:39
  Speaker 2: was doubtful, but she answered that she must go see
• 14:42
  Speaker 2: the man of God, Elisha. For this woman, going to
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: Elisha was her way of going to God himself, of
• 14:50
  Speaker 2: showing her trust in the faithfulness of God, the miracle
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: power of God. This prophet had healed and spoken in
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: God's name, so she knew that there was hope if
• 15:00
  Speaker 2: she turned to him. When loss, grief, tragedy, inexplicable, unexplainable
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: things come our way, we could choose to be bitter
• 15:09
  Speaker 2: and angry, or we can turn to God for comfort
• 15:13
  Speaker 2: and healing and strength. So this woman journeyed several hours
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: to find Elisha. So when he saw her coming, he
• 15:22
  Speaker 2: knew something must be wrong. When she reached Elisha, she
• 15:25
  Speaker 2: fell at his feet and poured out her heart. There
• 15:28
  Speaker 2: was so much pain, confusion, anguish. tears. This all streamed
• 15:33
  Speaker 2: from this woman as she told Elisha that the son
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: that she had not even asked for, but who had
• 15:39
  Speaker 2: been brought to her with such joy, was now dead.
• 15:43
  Speaker 2: Elisha listened as she poured out her heart. Then, after
• 15:47
  Speaker 2: the woman said she would not leave his side, Elisha
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: went with her to her home. When they arrived, he
• 15:53
  Speaker 2: went up to the room where the boy lay, the
• 15:55
  Speaker 2: very room the woman had built for Elisha. He prayed
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: to the Lord and then lay over the boy's lifeless body.
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: Warmth returned to the child's dead body. And Elisha stood
• 16:07
  Speaker 2: and paced the room, then lay down again. Soon the
• 16:10
  Speaker 2: boy sneezed as the breath of life returned to his lungs.
• 16:14
  Speaker 2: Our God is the God of the resurrection. The Shunammite
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: woman received her child back into her arms and was
• 16:20
  Speaker 2: comforted by the God of healing who never leaves us
• 16:23
  Speaker 2: or forsakes us, even in our deepest sorrows. Today, we
• 16:27
  Speaker 2: are comforted by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He said,
• 16:32
  Speaker 2: I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me,
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: though he be dead, yet shall he live. There is
• 16:38
  Speaker 2: life now and forever in Jesus Christ. Trust in the
• 16:41
  Speaker 2: miracle of the resurrection and receive the miracle of God.
• 16:47
  Speaker 2: Dear God, how we thank you for this powerful story.
• 16:50
  Speaker 2: We know only you can bring life out of death.
• 16:54
  Speaker 2: Only you can revive our physical bodies and only you
• 16:57
  Speaker 2: can breathe abundant life into our souls. Thank you for
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: your love for us, that you never leave us or
• 17:04
  Speaker 2: forsake us, and that you sent Jesus to come to
• 17:07
  Speaker 2: this earth to live a perfect life, to die on
• 17:10
  Speaker 2: the cross for our sins, to rise again physically, literally,
• 17:15
  Speaker 2: from the grave, that we might have eternal life. And
• 17:19
  Speaker 2: we pray in his strong and mighty name. Amen. Thank
• 17:23
  Speaker 2: you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: Before we go, I want to let you know about
• 17:29
  Speaker 2: a unique e-book that's yours to download absolutely free today.
• 17:34
  Speaker 2: It's called Breaking Free from Stress. And my prayer is
• 17:38
  Speaker 2: that it will help you conquer the daily task and
• 17:40
  Speaker 2: pressures and burdens that bring stress into your life. Download
• 17:44
  Speaker 2: your free copy of Breaking Free from Stress today by
• 17:48
  Speaker 2: visiting jackgram.org slash stress. That's jackgram.org. dot org slash stress.