2 Kings chapter 8 verses 1-6 (NIV)
Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the LORD has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years.” The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years. At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to appeal to the king for her house and land. The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, “Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done.” Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to appeal to the king for her house and land. Gehazi said, “This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” The king asked the woman about it, and she told him.Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, “Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now.”
Elisha gave advice to this woman that would have a major impact on her life for a considerable time. She and her family were to leave their home for seven years. However, twice before, Elisha had been used by God to significantly change this woman’s life, so she trusted his word. However, seven years is a long time. I’m sure there must have been times when she wondered if she would be able to get her home back. She’d seen God move in months, and she’d seen an immediate miracle, but this time she had to wait. Yet we see that in the fullness of time, not only did God meet her need, but through her story, even the King himself was given evidence of the goodness of God. Through her obedience, God’s perfect timing touched both her life and someone else’s.
Dear Lord,
Thank You for the lesson of this woman’s obedience. I know I often want to see You answer prayers quickly, and have seen You do so, but I’m not so good at waiting when it seems Your plan is longer term. I acknowledge that Your timing is perfect. Thank You. Amen.