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God Promises a Child - The Book of 2 Kings · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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