Obedience and Faithfulness
There is a reason why the age of two years old is famously called the terrible twos. Generally, it is during this age that a young child began asserting his independence aggressively and express his opinions pronouncedly, much to our, their parents, exasperation. My little Queen B is definitely no exemption.
Every day with her may sometimes feel like a continuous battle of the wills. From the moment we wake up to finally closing our eyes to sleep at night, our day is filled with skirmishes about how we will do things together. Of course, I do believe that this is part of her natural development and she learns a lot through all these "battles". But, it can be tiring and I must have lost my patience more times than I care to admit.
But you know what, at the end of the day when she is already sleeping peacefully beside me, all I can think about is how blessed I am to have her. All her defiances during the day seemingly forgotten and forgiven. The love of a parent for her child is indeed unconditional.
How much more is God's love for His children! Being a parent had made me realize the magnificence and depth of God's love for me. Like my little Queen B, I am constantly defiant and disobedient. A lot of times, I am also faithless. But He is truly good and His mercies are really new every morning because, despite my rebellious nature, He always calls me back home to Him.
The fourth and last part of my discussion about the Shunammite Woman, which I delivered last month at my local church women members' fellowship, revolves around two characteristics that are extremely important to being Christ' disciple: Obedience and Faithfulness. Let me share it with you.
Every day with her may sometimes feel like a continuous battle of the wills. From the moment we wake up to finally closing our eyes to sleep at night, our day is filled with skirmishes about how we will do things together. Of course, I do believe that this is part of her natural development and she learns a lot through all these "battles". But, it can be tiring and I must have lost my patience more times than I care to admit.
But you know what, at the end of the day when she is already sleeping peacefully beside me, all I can think about is how blessed I am to have her. All her defiances during the day seemingly forgotten and forgiven. The love of a parent for her child is indeed unconditional.
How much more is God's love for His children! Being a parent had made me realize the magnificence and depth of God's love for me. Like my little Queen B, I am constantly defiant and disobedient. A lot of times, I am also faithless. But He is truly good and His mercies are really new every morning because, despite my rebellious nature, He always calls me back home to Him.
The fourth and last part of my discussion about the Shunammite Woman, which I delivered last month at my local church women members' fellowship, revolves around two characteristics that are extremely important to being Christ' disciple: Obedience and Faithfulness. Let me share it with you.
Obedience – submitting to do what God requires of us. It is also recognizing the authority and direction of others, such as the pastor and church.
Faithfulness – is to be reliable, loyal, unwavering, and constant.
Let's continue reading the Shunammite Woman's story in 2 Kings 8:1-6.
Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Arise, and depart with your household, and sojourn wherever you can, for the Lord has called for a famine, and it will come upon the land for seven years.” So the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God. She went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years. And at the end of the seven years, when the woman returned from the land of the Philistines, she went to appeal to the king for her house and her land. Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me all the great things that Elisha has done. “ And while he was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and her land. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Elisha had restored to life”. And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed an official for her, saying “Restore all that was hers, together with all the produce of the fields from the day that she left the land until now.” (ESV)
When God revealed to Elisha that famine will come to the land for 7 years, Elisha instructed the Shunammite woman to leave their home and go elsewhere. The woman immediately without questions or complaints did what Elisha told her to do. We don’t know if her husband who is described as already old at the beginning of her story is still alive. If he is no longer living, then the Shunammite Woman solely made the decision to obey God through Elisha's instruction. If he is still alive then maybe he had also developed the same faith as his wife or maybe the woman may have to persuade him so they will follow as a family Elisha’s direction. Whatever her situation was, she made sure that she followed God’s will in her life.
The Shunammite woman is also very faithful. She lived in the land of the Philistines for 7 years where the traditions, customs, and religious beliefs are very different from hers. She and her household must have experienced discrimination and ostracization. In those 7 long years in a foreign land, life would have been easier for her if she along with her household followed the way of life of the Philistines. But she didn’t. She remains faithful to God. How do we know? We know because God rewarded her faithfulness.
After 7 years of sojourning in the land of the Philistines, the Shunammite woman went back to Shunem and appeal to the king for the restoration of her house and land. And it just so happened that on the day, at the exact moment the woman will appear to the king, the king was already talking to Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, and what is the topic of their conversation? Their topic is the Shunammite woman and her son whose life Elisha had miraculously restored through God's power. What a wonderful coincidence! Only God, our amazing God, can make that happen. Only Him can make that improbable coincidence takes place.
God, through the king, rewarded the Shunammite woman’s obedience and faithfulness. He did not only restore her house and land but He also gave her all her land has produced ever since she left. How true is Proverbs 28:20 which says “A faithful man will abound with blessings” in the life of the Shunammite woman.
Our dear Heavenly Father, through His beloved son Jesus Christ, gave us the same promise of a reward for our obedience and faithfulness. In John 15:7, Jesus said
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (ESV)
And we know that God will fulfill his promises because He is the very definition of faithful. Hebrews 10:23 says
Yet, we all know that there are times that we chose to be disobedient and faithless to God. Instead of following His will in our lives, we intend to rely on our own understanding and succumb to the wants of our treacherous hearts. Like my little Queen B who willfully wants to take full control of her day, we also want to be in control than let Him take over our lives. But this is where God's astounding mercy enters, 1 John 1:9 says
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (ESV)
Just like us, parents, who are quick to forgive our children their transgressions, God wants to forgive us but as He can't tolerate sin we must first confess our sins and truly repent. His forgiveness is greater than any disobedience. He is truly a Father who only wants to correct His beloved children's ways and trust in His infinitely more sound will.
Yours,
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (ESV)
Just like us, parents, who are quick to forgive our children their transgressions, God wants to forgive us but as He can't tolerate sin we must first confess our sins and truly repent. His forgiveness is greater than any disobedience. He is truly a Father who only wants to correct His beloved children's ways and trust in His infinitely more sound will.
Yours,
Lady
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