Buried Desires

Daily Devotional

2 Kings 4: 26 run at once to meet her, and say to her, Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is the child all right?’ She answered, ‘It is all right.’

Is there something that you want that you have buried so deep that you don’t even talk to God about it? This may be because you believe it is something that will never happen because of age, circumstances etc.

The woman in this story is one such person. She was a wealthy woman who always accommodated Elisha, on her own will, when he came into Shunem. She told her husband that they should designate a room for him that whenever he’s in Shunem, he would have somewhere to stay and food to eat. Elisha was touched by this and asked her one day to state what she wants from the Lord. Elisha decided that he wanted to do something nice for this hospitable woman. They called her to the upper room to have a chat and it goes something like this –

‘Look, you have been very good to us. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?’”

She answers, “I dwell among my own people.”  This translates to “I am content.”

She could have requested anything, but she simply says – “I’m content” and leaves the room.

 Elisha’s servant told him that she had no children and Elisha called her again. When he had called her, she stood in the doorway.  Then he said, “About this time next year you shall embrace a son.”

And she said, “No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant!”

She could not bear to have her long buried dream dug up, even if it came in the form of a promise.

Ever have a dream like that, one you hold so near and dear to your heart, that you don’t even speak of it? I have a few.

We may try to bury them deep, but God sees our hearts and every unfulfilled dream they hold

This is a desire that she had tucked away so deep that she did not even give herself the go ahead to state it verbally. Suffice it to say she had a son and he lived a few years and then died. Crazy right? She did not even tell her husband that he died. She went immediately to the man of God. When Elisha’s servant saw her and asked her if all is well, she said “It is alright”. When she saw Elisha, she reminded him that she never asked for a son even though that was her deepest desire and he prayed for her to have one, therefore he had to do something about the death of her son. The bible goes on to state that Elisha followed her home and prayed for the boy and he was brought back to life.

This woman could have cried her eyes out and accepted that her son is dead. Instead, she walked boldly to the man of God and asked him to fix it. Her husband did not know  anything had gone wrong.  Wow, I am simply amazed at how this woman held it together.  In faith, she knew that the only One who could restore her son to her, was the One who had given him to her.  Her God. What are some of the things we can learn from her:

1. God sees our buried dreams
2. Be content
3. God restores
4. God responds to faith

Life Application: Write at least one thing that you have not allowed yourself to dream about, but you really want to happen in your life.

Prayer: Dear Lord, there are some things that I have not uttered to anyone because I think they may be silly, impossible or plain stupid. I present everything to you right now in the name of Jesus and trust that you will work all things for my good. You are concerned about everything concerning me and there is nothing that is too trivial that concerns me. I pray that you will increase my faith in you. In Jesus name, amen.