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You are Invited into the Upper Room
Have you created an upper room for those whom you are to serve?
Elisha blessed the Shunammite woman more than she could have ever imagined because she showed him ongoing hospitality.
Biblical Ground Work: 2 Kings 4:8-37; 8:1-6
The Shunammite woman was a prominent woman married to an older gentleman. When she met Elisha she urged him to have a meal with her. They obviously enjoyed each others company because she built an upper room for Elisha to stay when he came into the area.
Elisha travelled around the nation a lot because he was the Man of God, not just to this woman, but the whole nation. He ran a school for prophets and went where the Lord sent him. He was someone who expected hospitality and got it.
Her hospitality opened doors for her that she believed were shut forever. She had no children but soon she did. She continued to be hospitable to Elisha after her son was born but then, he died. She had a problem on her hands but she still said, “Everything is all right,” three times. Her faith in Elisha’s ability to keep his promises is endless.
Our Biblical Life Lesson: Hospitality leads to untold blessings
Hospitality is “the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.” (dictionary.com) Your “home” or your “home base” can be a place for you to become hospitable. My husbands home is his castle, so I am not allowed to entertain in our home. I entertain in my “home base”, The Bible Gals sisterhood.
This virus has changed the way we think about hospitality, and everything else, as a matter of fact. We do hospitality differently and we think differently about it. We are in touch with people today we probably would not be in touch with usually. We don’t see people we would usually see. I see my mother more and my grandkids less.
At this time we are redefining ministry and life. The Shunammite woman was just doing life when she invited Elisha over for a meal and extended the invitation to every time he passed by. Then, she offered him a place to rest and sleep. This is hospitality at its best with a deep friendship as a reward.
Join me in The Bible Gals community tomorrow at 2pm EST for the Biblical Power Tools to use hospitality as your entry into deep relationships.
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Jars of Hope
Have you ever cried out for help but not known what exactly to ask for?
So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” 2 Kings 4:2
Did she know hope would come in a jar of oil?
Our Biblical Groundwork: 2 Kings 4:1-7
Elijah has been taken to heaven by chariot and Elisha is in his place as a prophet of God. He is running a school to train the prophets but one of them has passed away.
Somehow the prophet acquired debt and the widow could not pay restitution. By law the children would be required to work off the debt of their father. There mother was beside herself so she went to Elisha for assistance not knowing how he could assist but that she needed him to so she would not lose her sons to slavery.
Elisha asks her what she has in the house. She tells him she has nothing save one jar of oil. Good enough but she will need more to pay off the debt. He instructs her to go borrow more jars, bring them into the house and close the door.
She closes the door and fills all of the borrowed jars using her small jar of oil. When she sees they are all full she tells her sons to get more but there is no more, so the miracle ceases. She tells Elisha it is done and he gives her more instruction.
Biblical Life Lesson: A Miracle is never without instruction.
This story reminds of the times Jesus healed someone or performed a miracle in their sight. None of it was done without instruction regarding either how to get it or how to keep it.
When you first cry out to Jesus in need you really don’t know what you need because you need everything. You feel lost and alone. You need Him, yourself and others. It is all far away.
He will ask you what you have and show Him your tiny jar of oil. But that jar of oil is exactly what He has in mind for you but bigger. There is hope in that jar of oil.
The has been a biblical life lesson to live life to.
Join me in The Bible Gals community tomorrow at 2pm EST for the Biblical Power Tools to keep offering up that little jar of oil to keep pouring out hope for the future.
