Restoration (Part 1)

Restoration (Part 1)

2 Kings 8:1-5 "Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years. And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God: and she went with her household, and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. And it came to pass at the seven years’ end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land. And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done. And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land."

Shunem was a village of Galilee through which the Prophet Elisha routinely passed on his way to minister in  the northern kingdom. The Shunammite woman, who is spoken of in this chapter, supported Elisha and ministered to his needs. This woman prepared a room in her house and provided meals and shelter for him. 

Because of her generosity to the prophet of God, this woman reaped continuous restoration as she faced the difficulties of life.  Her gift of hospitality was multiplied many times over with blessings money cannot buy. The woman was childless, but God opened her womb, she conceived, and gave birth to a boy in 2 Kings 4:17.  A few years later when her son died, Elisha prayed for him and he was resurrected from the dead in 2 Kings 4:33-37.

Elisha warned the Shunammite woman sometime later about a famine that was coming upon the land and told her to take her family to another country until it was over in 2 Kings 8:1. The woman obeyed the Word of the Lord spoken through Elisha and took her entire household to live in the land of the Philistines.  After the famine ended, the woman returned to Shunem only to find that during the time she was gone, her house and land had been seized. 

When she went to the king to ask for the return of her property, Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, was with the king telling him how this woman's son had been raised from the dead.  When the king realized who she was, he immediately declared in 2 Kings 8:6, “Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now."

God not only provided for this Shunammite woman during the seven years of famine, but He also restored all she had lost during the time that she was away from her homeland. She experienced supernatural, divine provision because of her faithfulness to God.

When you remain faithful in giving, you are positioned for financial restoration, as well as restoration in areas equally as important or even more valuable than money.  He can restore your family, friends, job, possessions, and ministry. Don't give up on God and He won't give up on you!