Defining Moment

Defining Moment

The Woman From Shunem

Read: 2 Kings 4:18-20

Although the woman from Shunem had given up expectations of having a child, Elisha’s prophecy came true and she gave birth to a son. The woman had been happy before; now she embraced the joys of motherhood and thanked God every day for his miraculous gift. Several years passed, and one day her son followed his father into the fields during harvest time. Suddenly, the boy got a severe headache. The distraught mother held him on her lap until noon, when he died.

The unexpected death of her son struck the woman like a lightning bolt. God had sent this precious child after she had become resigned to never being a mother. The boy had brought more light and happiness into her life than she ever dreamed possible. Now, God had allowed her son to die. This tragedy brought a defining moment into the life of this woman. The way she reacted would be a major factor in her relationship with God and in her ability to be a witness for him. Would she lose her faith in the God she had served so faithfully? Would her pain and despair change her view of God so that she saw him as cruel rather than loving and merciful?

It’s easy to have a good attitude toward God when our lives are going smoothly. We enjoy God’s blessings and thank him for being a loving and merciful God. Then God takes away something that we treasure, maybe even what we love the most. A job is lost that we’ve held for twenty years. A spouse leaves after thirty years of marriage. A sudden illness claims a child’s life. Those dark days are the ones that reveal our faith. Will our change in circumstances change our view of God? Or will we stubbornly cling to the truth that God’s character never alters no matter how badly we’re hurting?

How will you respond if God takes away something that you treasure?