Doorway Living

2 Kings 4v8 begins with a very interesting story of a Shunammite woman who had an old husband and had borne no son. The story picks up as Elisha went to Shunem and a well-to-do woman who lived there urged him to stay for a meal. Whenever he came by he stopped there to eat. The Shunammite woman said to her husband, “I know this man often comes our way, he is a holy man of God. Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in a bed and a table, a chair, and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.”

So, one day Elisha came, and he went up to his room and said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.” So, he called her, and she stood before him.

Elisha said to him, “Tell her you have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can we do for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?”

Her answer was simple: “I have a home among my own people. ”

Elisha asked again, “What can be done for her?”

Gehazi said, “She has no son, and her husband is old.”

Then Elisha said, “Call her.”

So Gehazi called her, and she stood in the doorway. She didn’t go all the way in, just stood at the doorway. In verse 16, Elisha tells her, “About this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.”

The Shunammite woman objected and said, “Please man of God, don’t mislead your servant!” The Shunammite woman did not receive the prophecy given to her concerning the son she would carry in her arms the next year . She didn’t go all the way in to the room, but just stood at the doorway of her miracle. She didn’t believe that what God said he would do through the prophet, he would truly do…but He did. About the same time the next year, she gave birth to a son. If you read through this entire chapter, you find that this son’s birth was not only a miracle, but his entire life was a miracle.

God desires us to go through the doorway and live on the other side of the faith. He desires us to live a life of faith and trust that He will do what He says He will do. I don’t know about you, but I want to walk through that doorway of faith living and walk in abundant joy, believing God will do what He promised He would do.