It Is Well

Second Kings 4 tells the story of Elisha and the Shunammite woman. The prophet Elisha would often visit Shunem, a small village located in the tribe of Issachar. While in Shunem Elisha would have dinner with a wealthy woman and her family.  The woman saw that the prophet visited the area regularly so she asked her husband if they would make a room on their roof for the prophet so he would have a place to stay when he came to town.  Elisha was grateful for the woman's opening up her home to him, and asked her if there was something that he could do to bless her because she had been a blessing to him.  She told him that her family took good care of her, and she didn't have need of anything.  This answer did not satisfy the prophet because he really wanted to bless her.  He asked his servant, Gehazi, if he knew of something that she was in need of. Gehazi told Elisha that the woman had no son.  Elisha called the woman to him, and told her that by that time the following year she would have a son. It came to pass as the man of God said.  She became pregnant and gave birth to a son.

One day the son was in the field with his father when he began to complain of having a headache. The father instructed a servant to take the son to his mother.  The mother held her son in her lap, and around noon he died.  She laid her son on the bed in the room she had made for Elisha.  Then asked her husband if she could go to see the man of God.  Her husband agreed for her to go.  Elisha saw her coming in the distance and sent Gehazi to ask her if it was well with her husband and child.  When Gehazi asked the Shunammite woman what the prophet asked she replied, "It is well." When she got to Elisha she expressed her sorrow because of her son's death and told him that she was not leaving unless he returned to Shunem with her.

When Elisha got to Shunem he went to his room in the Shunammite woman's house and found her son on his bed.  He laid on the dead boy, his mouth to the son's mouth, his eyes to the son's eyes and his hands to the son's hand.  The dead body began to become warm.  He got up and began to pace. After which he laid on the son again.  The son sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.  Elisha told Gehazi to call the Shunammite woman.  When she came he told her to pick up her son.

Romans 4:16-17 says that when God spoke of the promise of Abraham being the father of many nations despite him being 100 years old and Sarah 90, God was calling those things that be not as though they were. The Shunammite woman did the same thing when Elisha sent Gehazi to ask about her family.  Despite her son being dead she replied "it is well". She did not see what was in her present or in the natural realm.  She saw by the spirit into the future and it was well.  It was not but she saw it as it was.  

That statement may seem like an oxymoron, and a bit unrealistic.  It was not but she saw it as it was. We live in the natural or earth realm, but should not forget that there are things in another realm, the spirit realm, that affect what is manifested in the earth realm.  In Daniel 10 the angel told Daniel that God answered his prayer from the day he prayed it, but he was caught up in the second heaven for twenty one days fighting with the spirit Prince of Persia. It wasn't until the archangel, Michael, came to help the angel that he was able to leave to bring God's message to Daniel.  

God had already answered Daniel's prayer, but it took twenty one days for it to get from God to Daniel because of what was going on in realm that we are not aware of (but should be).  To Daniel it appeared as though his prayer was not answered.  It was answered in the spirit realm, but had not yet manifested in the natural realm.  

Three things that bring manifestation of spiritual things in the natural realm are God's promise, faith and prayer.  Although Abraham did not see and did not live to see the promise God had given him come to pass, it was his faith that made it come to pass.  He is a father of many nations.  He could not see it when God said it, but the fact that God said it meant that it could be seen first in the spirit and then in the natural. 

When Jesus was brought the report that Lazarus was sick He said to His disciples that Lazarus would not die from his sickness (John 11).  Two days later Jesus said to His disciples that it was time for them to go to awaken Lazarus from his sleep.  Jesus saw both in the natural and spiritual realms.  In the natural He saw that Lazrus died, but in the spirit He saw that Lazurs was raised from the dead so that God could be glorified. 

In Psalm 23 David said that God prepared a table before him in the presence of his enemies.  At the time his enemy, King Saul, was hunting him to kill him, and he and his mighty men of valor were hiding in caves in the wilderness.  Despite his current situation David had a promise from God that he would be king, and he called those things that be not as though they were.

When you are in the middle of a messy situation and it completely envelopes you it is hard to see pass the mess.  When there is no money to pay the bills it is hard to see that God will supply all of your needs through His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  When sickness over takes your body and the doctor's prognosis is not good it is hard to see that you are in good health and prosper even as your soul prospers.  When adultery enters your marriage it is hard to see that what God has joined together no man can put asunder. When life happens it is hard to see that He came that you might have life and have it more abundantly.  

Despite all that is happening and all that can happen it is well because you have faith and prayer and a promise.  You may be broke, but it is well.  You may be sick, but it is well.  Your spouse might have left you, but it is well. It is well because of all of the promises in God's word that you must stand on in faith and pray in faith to see manifested in your life.  It is well.