There is much to be learned from this woman of Shunem. Through her encounters with Elisha, she sensed that he was a holy man of God, and she invited him in to dine with her and her husband. It became a regular thing for Elisha to stop there for supper. Over time, the woman looked for other ways to minister to the prophet. She and her husband decide to build a room onto their house so that Elisha could rest and study in peace.
This woman’s sensitivity toward Elisha’s need is even more impressive when we consider that she was personally unfulfilled. She was childless, which within her culture was a source of great shame and criticism. But she still ministers to others. It reminds us that we must not let personal setback nor the criticism of others keep us from doing what we know is pleasing to God.
As Elisha was relaxing one day in his new living quarters, God spoke to his heart and told him to speak to this woman about her lack of fulfillment. Elisha promises her she’ll conceive and give birth to a son. In this promise is the fulfillment of purpose, as she understood it.
It should be our desire to fulfill our purpose. God has a purpose for all of us. A lesson all of us need to learn is this: Not being able to do what we want to do is no excuse for not doing what we can do.
Maybe our purpose is not being fulfilled completely today. We’re not in the job that we want, not in the financial situation that we desire, not in the right place in our personal and family relationships. But the lesson of the Shunammite woman is that doing what we can for others—which is doing what we can for God (Matthew 25:40)—may lead us to opportunities to fulfill our purpose further down the road. While we await that opportunity, let us make the most of the opportunities that we have.
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