May God be pleased to bless us
together this morning as we meditate in his word. Let us turn to the
second book of the Kings and the fourth chapter and we'll
read verse 26. The fourth chapter in the second
book of the Kings and reading verse 26. Run now, I pray thee,
to meet her and say unto her, is it well with thee Is it well
with thy husband? Is it well with the child? And
she answered, it is well. We should be very thankful that
God in his infinite love and mercy has granted that there
is account in the Word of God of a godly woman like this Shunammite. And in a few verses we cover
quite a timescale in the life of this woman. But what we observe
is that she was a woman of faith and she was a woman that did
that which was God-honouring. and pleasing to her God. And so may we be in a similar
situation in our lives today. She was one that desires to serve
God. And how important that should
be. That we should be concerned to be found doing that which
is right and God honouring. Because Elisha came and stayed
with this woman and her husband and her concern was to do that
which was helpful to support this man and so she provided
a little chamber and it had a bed and a table and a stool and a
candlestick so that whenever Elisha came there would be his
own little accommodation. The concern was then that he
might be suitably looked after. We should always be concerned
today in our lives, very different age we live in, but nonetheless
to be concerned that God's servants and God's people are looked after. And this would have cost this
couple probably quite a considerable amount to provide, but you see
this was their desire to do that which was useful and helpful
for this man of God. It was clearly revealed to her
that Elisha was a man of God. Well, it's a little example in
the Word of God as to how you and I should act and react in
our lives And we should not therefore think, well that's an interesting
historical account. Whenever we read the Word of
God, we should wonder how it applies to us today. It's not an account which is
purely historical. The Word of God is applicable
to everyone of his children throughout the world today. And so as we
read an account like this, to have the concern that we might
be doing that which is right. It is very easy to be very selfish,
to be very self-centred, to be only concerned about ourselves
and our accommodation and what we do. But here was a husband
and wife living together and concerned therefore for the benefit
and the blessing of Elisha. It is a good example for us,
and we should all take it to heart in each of our lives, realizing
here you and I are just passing through this world, this passing
world, and we're passing through it, and we're only here for a
short time, and are we doing that? which is for the honour
and glory of God. She didn't do it for any accolades
to be heaped on her. No, she did it for the honour
and glory of God and it was very interesting when she was asked
by Elisha what should be done for her. This was very kind of
her to have done these things and he said to her, what is to
be done? Would it be spoken of to the
king? or to the captain of the host.
Now that's a big temptation, isn't it? You know, for our natural
understanding, isn't it? We think that would be good,
wouldn't it? If I was spoken to, perhaps to the Queen or to
the Prime Minister, and yet what does she say? She gives a very
good answer. She just says, I dwell among
mine own people. What does that mean? It means
that she was content. The Word of God tells us this.
Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing
into this world and it is certain that we should carry nothing
out. So may we be content. It's a great blessing to be content. Naturally we become discontented. But what a blessing then, if
we have the right spirit, a spirit like this, I dwell among my own
people. And then of course, as we read
the account, we were noted that Yehezai realized she hadn't got
any children, and Elisha told her that she would have a child,
and of course she doubted it, and yet, you see, it came to
pass. Now, this woman's faith was to
be tried and this woman's faith was to be tested. And let us
not think that this is just something which occurs to a few people.
The truth is, the great God tests our faith. And it's a good thing
to have our faith tested, so that we don't end up with a false
faith. a faith which is not of God,
a faith which is of the flesh. It is easy to be sidetracked
and to believe perhaps certain things will come to pass when
in actual fact there's no real evidence of them. And I suppose
we can analyse it in this way. When the Lord gives us a promise
about things we automatically think it's going to be some wonderful
situation, but it may not be. It may be far from that. It doesn't mean to say that it
doesn't come to pass, it doesn't mean to say God's not in it,
but it may not follow the way that perhaps we anticipated. Now this woman was blessed with
a child, and it was a blessing, but her faith was to be tested. because the little or the lad
or the child was grown, we're not told how old he was but obviously
he was grown and he fell ill. What a change occurred in a very
short time, a very short time. This woman and her husband and
the lad would have got up in the morning and quite normally
Do you know the husband went off to the reap and the son went
off with him? And then what a change occurred.
He suddenly had a bad head. Sent home to his mother. In a
very short time, he died. Now you see, this was a great
temptation. And it may be so in our lives. We face situations which are
a great test of the reality of our religion. Well, it's a mercy
if God tests our religion, and that which is false, we get rid
of. Sometimes we may think that God's
given us certain promises, and we prove they're not of God. we find they're false. And again,
just going back to what I said, if we analyse that, we will find
that if what we thought came from God came to pass, what we
would have done was to have claimed some of the glory ourselves. Well God is a jealous God and
he won't have that. So let us realise that perhaps things that
we thought would come to pass, don't come to pass, and we wonder
why, It's because God's dealing with us in love and showing to
us how faulty has been our religion, how faulty has been our faith,
and to realise that God is dealing with us love to our souls and
so here this woman had this test this great test and So she she
called her husband and said send me I pray thee one of the young
men and One of the asses that I may run to the man of God and
come again. He said wherefore what they go
to him today It is neither New moon nor Sabbath. He didn't know
what the situation was yet. She hadn't told him and What
did she say? She said, it shall be well. It shall be well. Of course,
in the 26th verse, which we read here, the last part says, it
is well. Faith stretches out. Her faith
stretched out. It shall be well. And then to
be able to say, before it had come to pass, it is well. Great blessing, isn't it, if
God gives us faith to believe that in our lives it is well
and it shall be well. There are so many cases in the
Word of God which direct us to God's sovereignty and God's wonderful
grace and God's wonderful favour. I guess most of us are familiar
with the account of Ruth, aren't we? Well, Ruth was a Moabite
woman. She wasn't of Israel. But her husband was. Her husband was the son of Naomi.
Now, what happened in her life? Her husband died. She didn't
have any children. We might think, well, What a
terrible situation. The reality was, with her, it
was well. And it shall be well. She wouldn't
have realised that at the time. But it shall be well in her case. Because what came about in the
case of Ruth? Well, she was brought into the
knowledge of the truth. And what did she do? She desired
to follow Naomi. She desired to leave her own
land, where she'd been brought up, all her friends, all her
comforts, because she saw the blessing
of God that was in Naomi. And that was the God that she
wanted to follow. That was the God that she wanted
to worship. It was an unknown way to her.
But she would have said, it shall be well. It shall be well. And it was. And it was well with
Ruth. Have the Lord wonderfully appeared
for her, didn't he? Wonderfully appeared for her.
And we can follow, therefore, Ruth's line as the line of Christ. It shall be well. It is well. It was well. And so we can think
of others. We can think of Gideon. Can you remember Gideon? Gideon
was in a difficult situation, wasn't he? He was in a hard situation. There he was with the Midianites,
oppressing them. He was hiding and threshing corn
so that he wouldn't be said. And yet God came and spoke to
Gideon and said, he was the one who the Lord had caused to lead
the Israelites and to deliver them from the Midianites. So what happened? Well, we know
that there was, of course, that large army that was dramatically
reduced from many, many thousand to just a mere 300. And of course,
if he'd been asked about the situation, would he have said
it shall be well? It is well. His confidence was
in his God and God encouraged him. He showed him signs that
it would be well. The Lord's very gracious, my
friends, today. He's very kind and he gives us those signs to
direct us into the situation and to encourage us. The Apostle Paul tells us, for
we know that all things work together for good to those who
love God. and to those who are called according
to his purpose. It doesn't mean to say, well,
I think that's working for my good and that's not. No, all
things are working together for our good. Things which sometimes
appear to be in an opposite way. And when I say that, I mean more
specifically with regards to the blessing of God to our souls. That's the great question, isn't
it? The blessing of God to our souls. And it was in the Apostle Paul's
case, he was able to say that all things work together for
good, and he proved it in his life. And he proved it in an
amazing way. Remember when he went to Philippi.
And he was imprisoned for preaching the Gospel. He was imprisoned
for going to Philippi, obeying the Word of God. And we would
think sometimes, if we are obeying the Word of God, everything is
going to go very smoothly. Well, you and I are not promised
that. The Word of God doesn't encourage us to believe that.
What it does encourage us is to believe we have the answer
of a good conscience. Because we're doing God's will. God didn't
leave Paul. God was with Paul. It was well
with Paul. And God's purpose for him was
to be in Philippi, to be imprisoned, so that there would be that Jaina,
who would be converted, and his family. Yes, says the Apostle
Paul, all things work together for good. It is well. It was
well. It was well with the Apostle.
He was able therefore to give an account like this. So don't
always think that when things are working and going in what
we think is an opposite way. No, they're not working against
us. They're working for our good.
You may remember Jacob. Jacob, a man of God. And what happened was his sons
went down to gather corn. And of course the ten of them
had gone down and Benjamin hadn't and of course Joseph was already
in Egypt, they didn't know that. And they came back and they told
their father that, no we're not going to get any more corn unless
you send Benjamin. And what did he say? All these
things are against me. That's what they appeared. But
they weren't. They were all working together
for his good. And so it was here in this case of this Shunammite
woman. And it's good to realise that
we have accounts like this to encourage us and to strengthen
our faith and to test our faith so that when in our lives today
things don't appear to be going to plan. Things appear to be rather difficult. And yet, you see, here was this
statement by Elisha to Gehazi. He said, run now, I pray thee,
to meet her and say unto her, is it well with thee? Is it well
with thy husband? Is it well with the child? And
what did she say? It is well. It is well. Well it is well with the people
of God. It is well. Whatever situation we come into,
it is well. And it's a great blessing if
you and I can realise that. Because the truth is that God's
purposes are being worked out in our lives. Sometimes in a
very different way to what we expected. I suppose mostly in
a very different way to what we expected. But the truth is
that the end result has one result. Do you know what that is? God's
name is honoured and glorified. And that's the great purpose
of God's work in our hearts, to bring honour and glory to
his great and holy name, and how you and I need to learn that
lesson again and again. But when you and I are blessed
with our understanding, then you see, in the midst of adversity,
in the midst of opposition, when everything seems against us,
just like Jacob, all these things are against us, no they're not. It was well with Jacob. My friends
today, to the people of God, whatever situation you find yourselves
in, remember to be able to say, with this woman, it is well. It is well. Just because things
don't appear to be working out, it is well. Because Almighty
God is leading you and me, if we ask God's people in a right
way, in a right way. And that way is a way of preparation
for our souls to enter in to glory at last. The psalmist tells
us, he led them forth by the right way. It wasn't just an
historical fact. It was an historical fact, but
it's a fact which applies to all the Church of God. God leads
us by the right way that we might go to a city of habitation. That
means that by his grace we come at last to glory. And therefore,
whatever the path is, may we be able to come and say, with
this woman, not knowing what the future was, did she? She
didn't know what was going to happen naturally, but she was
able to say, it is well. You and I, my friends, need to
be able to say that in our lives. Our natural lives, which are
in providence, which perhaps are working together for our
spiritual life, for the spiritual health of our souls. How often
we are so concerned about our natural life and natural things.
The Lord deals with his people. He brings them into situations
where they come and they cry unto God, Most High. They commend
themselves unto God. They desire to be submissive
to the will of God. And that's a blessing, you know,
if you and I are brought there to be submissive to the will
of God. Because if you and I are, we
can say with confidence. This woman spoke here with a
humble confidence and she was able to say, it is well. It's a phrase that you and I
should pray that we might be able to say that throughout our
life, throughout our life, it is well. Right down to the end
of our life, it is well. My own father, the last audible
words that he really spoke to my youngest daughter was, Three words, it is well. That's a good testimony, isn't
it? To be able to say, as we're passing out of time into eternity,
it is well. Well, the great question then
for us this morning is this, is it well with our soul? Is
it well with our soul? What do you say to that question?
We all need to answer that question, don't we? Is it well with our
soul? We need to be honest about that.
We need to be very honest about it, in both ways. Not to be hypocritical
and making a wrong statement, just to perhaps try to impress
people. But on the other hand, to honour
and glorify the name of Almighty God. Because my friends, if God
has worked in our hearts, if he has come and shown us our
lost and ruined condition, if he has shown us our sinful state
before a holy God, and if the Blessed Spirit has directed us
from ourselves to the Saviour, the great and glorious Jesus,
then you see, If we found that comfort and that refuge for sinners
in Jesus, then you see, if asked the question, is it well? Don't deny it. Some people somehow
seem to think that denial is God honoring. Denial is very
evil, because what does it show? An evil heart of unbelief. An
evil heart of unbelief. Not a good heart. An evil heart
of unbelief. Never, ever come in answer to
such a question, if the Lord has worked in your heart, if
the Lord has touched your heart, if the Lord has drawn you to
Him, to come and say in answer to this question, is it well
to say I don't know? Those that honour me, I will
honour. Yes, it's a blessing. You don't
want God to turn his back on you, do you? You don't want to
come and God to say, well, I don't know. I don't know about that person. Here was a very clear statement.
It is well. It is well. And so all of us
today should be concerned with regards to the condition of our
soul, to be able to say, before God, that's who we stand before,
we don't stand before men and women and boys and girls, we
stand before God. In answer to this question, is
it well, well with your soul? What's the answer? What's the
answer? Again remember, we answer before
God. But how wonderful it is, how
wonderful it is, and how God-honouring it is, if by His grace, His amazing
grace, which has come to our hearts and made us spiritually
alive, so that we have to say, and may we have to say, and may
we dare not deny the truth of God's work in our hearts, because
it is a tremendous thing. It's the greatest blessing you
and I can ever possess, the work of God in our hearts. The knowledge of Jesus as our
Saviour, the knowledge that Jesus has died to take away our sins,
all our sins, our terrible sins, our wicked sins, our lustful
sins, our vile sins. The Lord Jesus came to save our
souls. The Lord Jesus came to die so
that we might live. The Lord Jesus Christ came to
pay the price required to deliver us from the curse of God that
solved its sin, it shall die. The Lord Jesus Christ died in
the place of his people. He paid the punishment, the ransom
that was required. My friends, it's that God come
and touched our hearts with a little realisation that the almighty
God The Saviour, Lord Jesus Christ, has indeed delivered us from
the wrath to come. Is it well with your soul? Can you say, therefore, with
this woman, it is well? It is well? Such an answer is
God-honouring and God-glorifying. must ever deny the work of God
in our souls. Never deny it. You see the Apostle Paul, that
man of God who was wonderfully blessed in his life, was able
to write some very instructive words to his son Timothy. He tells us this in the second
epistle in the first chapter. He says, Be not thou therefore
ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner,
but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the
power of God. who has saved us and called us
with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began. What a God we have, just think
of that, before the world began. The Lord chose a people and chose a people to testify
of his love, of his grace. Chose a people that would be
able to come and say, in answer to that great question, is it
well with thy soul? It is well because of what God
has done, what God has said. The Apostle tells us then this
great truth and it's relevant to us today. To Timothy it was,
all God's people, be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony
of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner. Let us never be ashamed of the
people of God. If you're walking along the road
with the people of God and you suddenly come across a friend
or a colleague, a worldly person, do you kind of pretend that this
person you're not really with, you're not kind of with them?
Don't be ashamed of the people of God. Look to them, find them
out, talk to them. Be not ashamed of the testimony
of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner. But, you see there's this sign
as well, which perhaps, we don't like to knowledge, but it's very
important, if it is well with our soul, the evidence of that
truth is this, that we are partakers of the afflictions of the gospel
according to the power of God. That means there will be many
times of trial, many times of opposition, many times of temptation,
Many times a temptation, the devil will tempt you again and
again. And his temptations always follow
the same pattern. He questions the work of God. He questions the work of God
in your soul. He says, well, that is not true,
of course. That is not true. Well, sometimes
I think of that lovely little example of John Warburton. And John Warburton was greatly
blessed of his God. And he went into the field, and
he danced in the field before God, praising God for that which
he'd done for his soul. And then you see the devil came
and said, oh, I did that, John. So did John Warburton say. Devil,
if you did it, do it again. Of course he couldn't. It was
the work of God. And so what a blessing it is
when you and I possess this favour from God, his life within, but
to understand that in that path there is a pathway of afflictions,
natural afflictions perhaps, but also spiritual afflictions. The devil will come again and
again and try and turn us away from The truth of God. And try and say, well that's
not God's work. My friends, always test it to
see whether it is God's work. Don't listen to the devil. That
was the great fallacy of Eve, wasn't it? She listened to the
devil. Don't give the devil any room in your heart. Cust him
out. Stand firm. Take the whole armour
of God. You may be able to resist the
devil. Don't underestimate his power.
Don't underestimate his skill. Don't think you can stand firm
yourself. Not at all. Remember this great God. Oh my
friends, turn to Jesus. Turn to Jesus. And as the Apostle tells us,
who has saved us? No one else. no one else. The Lord Jesus Christ saved us
and called us, no one else, with a holy calling, a personal calling,
a peculiar call, a particular call, the call of God to our
souls, which has produced life within, not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began, he says, but is now made
manifest by the appearing of our saviour Jesus Christ, who
has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light
through the gospel. That's the true light. When the
true light shines into our heart, Can we not say, humbly answer
this question, is it well? It is well. It is well. And I bless God for his glorious
grace. I bless God for his love to me
in singling me out from the host of mankind, chosen me, perhaps
in the furnace of affliction, whatever it may be, to think
the Lord has looked upon us called us by his grace and brought us
to that good place, that sound place that we are trusting not
in ourselves. We're trusting in what the Lord
Jesus Christ has done. His great work of salvation,
his sin atoning death. My friends, he paid the price,
the enormous price. Don't underestimate it. You know,
if you think you're not a very big sinner, I'm sure God will
show you, you are a big sinner. So you'll come and say, well,
why me? Oh, blessed God. Why such a wretch
as me, who must forever lie in hell, were not salvation free? Oh, the blessed gospel, the freedom
of the gospel, the wonder of it. The Lord comes. to the worst
of sinners. That's how you and I come, failing
to be the worst of sinners, and we come empty-handed. Nothing
in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. Well, this
morning here, we have then this very simple account, very blessed
account, a very humbling account, as we see this woman was given
this faith to be able to say to Kihezai, it is well. And it was. And if the Lord,
my friends, has called us by his grace, and let us search
our hearts, let us search diligently to see whether we are in the
faith or not, let us not just go on our way aimlessly through
this poor old world and then end up with nothing at the end.
But oh, my friends, may we possess the grace of God in our hearts.
that wonderful grace, unmerited favor of God, to be able to come
and say, indeed with this woman, it is well, it is well. To realize then that if it is
well, our eternal state is secure. My friends, we need to know that
our eternal state is secure. that we may be able to say, and
we should seek and desire that we might be able to say, it is
well. Don't just carry on in an aimless
condition. Don't put it off and think, well,
it's not very important. It is important. Why? Because
you and I might die today, tomorrow. Is it well with your soul? Is it? You must answer before
God. I don't know. I can look at you. You may look a wonderful person.
You may be a totally lost person. You have to answer before God. Is it well with your soul? If you are able to say it is
well, it's because your hope is built on nothing less than
Jesus' blood and righteousness. There's your hope, not in self,
not at all. Your hope is in what Christ has
done. And if your hope is in what Christ
has done, you would desire to honour and glorify Him, the great
and glorious God who came and died, that you might possess
the gift of eternal life. Remember this little account.
And may God grant us each the wonderful favour of being able
to come and say, in answer to the question, is it well? To be able to say, it is well. Amen.