Is All Well With You?
- Dr. Teresa Allissa Citro
- Oct 8, 2018
- 4 min read
“Run at once to meet her and say to her, ‘Is all well with you? Is all well with your husband? Is all well with the child?’” And she answered, “All is well.” -2 Kings 4: 26
This Shunamite woman is one of my top ten favorite person. It’s funny how we are never told her name. All we know about her is her character. There’s that word again "character" that I always like to talk about. It is the character of that person which will always determine the outcome.
Her integrity is unquestionable. Here’s a woman who was highly respected by one of the greatest prophets to ever live, Elisha. She had an amazing temperament. She was kind, respectable, intelligent, and most importantly, great faith. I love this woman’s attitude. She stands out amongst the others, and God knew her faith too.
I keep saying it’s all about your character. Godly character and behavior attracts God and His blessings. It’s not her name that God felt important to leave us with but her character traits. Think about that today. It all began when she saw a need and met it. She had her husband build a room for a man of God, who passed by her town. That wasn’t a coincidence. The God-given Spirit in her recognized the God-given Spirit in Elisha. She identified him as a man of God.
Next, when Elisha wanted to do something special for her, like give her recognition and power before the King in her town, she said, “No thank you!” You see her humbleness right there. She didn’t built the room for Elisha to receive something in return. It was done out of a heart of compassion. A heart of wanting to help and bless another person. Take note of this truth. What are your motives?
Elisha says, "Okay, fine, but you have no son, and your husband is old. Next year by this time you will have a son." Now, how could a man make such a bold statement? Easy question to answer. He was a true prophet of God. Elisha didn’t have the power to make such a bold statement, but the Spirit of God in him had the power to make and perform the miracle. Her immediate response was, “Please don’t lie to me, Man of God!” We could all understand her emotions. Happy and scared all at the same time. “God could it be?!”
It happened the following year, a son was born to her. When the child was older, he was in the field with his dad, and he got sick. The boy died that day. The mother took him to the bedroom of the prophet, placed him on the bed, shut the door, went to the field, asked the husband for a donkey, and a servant to go see Elisha. The husband said, "Is everything okay?" She answered, “Yes, All is well!” Wow! How in the world could she look at her husband, knowing their only child was dead and say, “All is well?” I can conclude only one thing. Her faith didn’t see death. Her faith saw resurrection.
She arrived and Gehazi, Elisha's servant, meets her. Notice the questions? “Is all well with you? Is all well with your husband? Is all well with your son?”
She responds, “All is well!” When I read this story, it convicts me, humbles me, and increases my faith. Finally she saw Elisha and fell humbly to her knees and asked, “Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’” I want us to pause here for just a moment. Please hear me. She never once told Elisha the child was dead. In fact, she didn’t tell it to her husband, the servant that went with her, Gehazi, or Elisha. The boy was dead, and she told no one. Elisha never asked! Immediately, he told Gehazi to go with her. The story ends with the son coming back to life. That’s a miracle in itself.
REFLECTION: Friends, our words are powerful and our actions even more. It’s not what we say that matters only. It’s what we do. Do our words come forth in our actions. Elisha’s Spirit recognized the woman’s Spirit. No words were necessary. They both knew resurrection was what was about to come forth. In life we have many troubles. In fact, we are told to expect them and to be joyful in them. So, then, are we to pretend everything is dandy? The Christian life has nothing to do with pretense. Knowing God is all about understanding that no matter what happens He is in control so we can say, “It is well!”
"...But victory belongs to the LORD," (Proverbs 21:31).
What are you facing today? Believe me, my life is not a picnic in a beautiful park. However, this morning and every morning, I will say, “It is well,” not because I’m pretending, but because it truly is. The dead things are resurrecting God’s way, not my way. I don’t need to address, discuss, and talk about the dead things. I can place the things that I think are dead before the Cross of Christ who has the power to resurrect that which is asleep at the moment, in His time, and in His way? Are you hearing what the Spirit is saying?
The Spirit of God knows, sees, and hears. What Spirit are you of? Does the Spirit of God really dwell in you? You see, we can’t have it both ways. I find it interesting that none of the names of this family were mentioned, but we know them by their Spirit and who they were. Your character is what this is all about. “Is it well with you?”
Dr. Teresa Allissa Citro
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You are the God Who cares more about my character than my comfort. Thank You for watching over me and being my Shepherd. Father, help me to develop the character You want me to have so that I might be pleasing in Your sight. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Linda A. Knowles
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