Faith Believes in Miracles
Physicist Albert Einstein once said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” True. Every day, all around us, God’s supernatural, miraculous workings are evident. As Paul states in Romans 1, even creation declares God’s glory and workmanship.
Jesus is the exact representation of our heavenly Father. Jesus explained to Philip and the other disciples, “… Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father…” (John 14:9 NIV)
Jesus went about proclaiming the good news of God’s Kingdom and demonstrated God’s love and compassion toward humanity by healing the sick, delivering the demonized, and performing miracles—including raising the dead. As the writer of Hebrews states, “Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Heb. 13:8 NKJV)
God is a miracle-working God, yesterday, today, and forever! While we may not see dramatic healings and miracles in every situation, we need to live from faith, believing anything is possible with the Lord.
Through His resurrection, the authority of His Word and name, and the empowering of His Church by the Holy Spirit, Jesus is still doing miracles today. Paul declared in 1 Cor. 4:20, that “God’s kingdom is not in word only, but in power.” (NKJV)
One of the most notable miracles I’ve heard of occurred in Brazil several years ago. There was a ministry team from our parent organization, Global Awakening, ministering in a church where there was a blind man who received prayer for new eyes. When he was 9, muriatic acid went into his eyes, destroying his corneas and pupils, leaving only scar tissue. A woman on the Global team prayed for the man for 5 hours – with no sign of healing. She and the Global team left the next day for home. Three days later, the man’s pastor contacted Global saying how the man woke up on the third day with new eyes! Jesus, the same yesterday, today, and forever!
Today, I want to examine the story of the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4:8-37.
God, through the prophet Elisha, worked notable miracles for this woman. In this story, I see three key points: 1) Faith is Bold; 2) Faith is Often Tested 3) Faith Believes in Miracles.
Understand that faith persists despite impossibilities; this is the realm where miracles occur. Faith denies hopelessness and believes God allows the impossible to occur.
Faith is Bold
Elisha prophesies a son (2 Kings 4:14-17)
The Shunammite woman had a good heart and served out of love. Elisha wants to bless her in return, but she wants nothing. She doesn’t need special treatment; she is just humble. It’s important to have a heart that is more concerned about others. We should guard our hearts not to maneuver for selfish ambition.
Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, tells the prophet, “Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old” (vs. 14). In Jewish culture, having no son was shameful for a woman, but she said nothing.
Gehazi tells Elisha, “Her husband is old.” In other words, it’s impossible!
Hope often fades in the face of impossibility. Have you found that to be true?
Perhaps she didn’t ask for a son because her hope had completely faded. She had heard about Elisha’s miracles, but she really didn’t believe that God would work a miracle for her.
Perhaps you are reading this today, and hope has faded. I want to remind you that God is no respecter of persons; what He will do for one, He will do for you. He is a God of miracles, a God who breathes on that which appears dead, brings it to life, and causes hope to abound.
How? By His presence with us. To embrace anything less misses the essence of “I am with you always.” The Holy Spirit is with us, and His presence is manifested through impossible situations as they bow in the name of Jesus. We have His imparted authority and the authority of His Word. We live from Him, in Him, and confident that He is above all—always!
Elisha calls for her, and she stands in the doorway as he declares, “About this time next year, you shall embrace a son.” (vs. 16). However, her response is one of disbelief, “No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant!”
In other words (my paraphrase), “You are a man who hears from God, so don’t lead me on! I have been disappointed before, and I can’t take another disappointment.”
Over the years, I have witnessed many like this woman, out of fear of disappointment, hold back in pursuing God for their miracle. For some, it’s safer to stay in hopelessness than to risk another disappointment.
The woman doesn’t appear to have much faith. But, as Elisha foretold, she conceived and bore a son (vs. 17). Her story is like that of Abraham and Sarah. They were promised a son but were well advanced in years.
When hope in the natural was beyond them, Sarah conceived and gave birth to Isaac, the son of promise. In like manner, the Shunamite woman also gave birth when it seemed impossible.
Elisha evidently heard from God and declared God’s purpose for this woman. Faith declares what God is revealing. Proverbs 28:1 says that the “righteous are as bold as a lion” (NKJV). Faith is often bold and tenacious.
Often, it’s a bold confession of faith inspired by the Holy Spirit that releases God’s miracle power.
The bold declaration of the gospel of the Kingdom provides a point for the God of miracles to operate. I’ve personally observed healings and miracles at the declaration of conditions.
For example, in one meeting, someone gave a word of knowledge that there was someone present who had a deaf right ear. It turns out that a young man was there, who was born deaf in both ears. He couldn’t hear what was spoken in the meeting and was released by faith. But suddenly, his deaf right ear opened, and he could hear! It frightened him at first! A family member brought him forth to give a testimony. The room erupted in praise to God with this testimony! As he was prayed over for his left ear to be healed, God opened that ear too! What a miracle, and what a meeting that night! Faith is bold, and often declares what God is revealing!
Faith is Tested
The child dies (2 Kings 4:18-28)
The child grows, not sure of the age, but some commentators believe the boy is 4 or 5, as he was susceptible to the morning heat. As he visits his father in the fields, he is overcome by heat, has sunstroke, is taken to his mother, and dies in her arms.
She lays the child in Elisha’s bed (possibly for healing or because she is angry with Elisha) and sets out to find Elisha on Mt. Carmel. The child of promise has died, her hope is once again fading, and her faith is being tested.
Ironically, her husband appears to have no faith and discourages her from going to seek Elisha! Impossibility breeds fear and hopelessness.
The Shunamite woman finds him, and simply tells Elisha, “Everyone and everything is ok.” However, as she gets closer, she grabs his feet. Elisha now sees she is deeply troubled – yet God didn’t reveal this to him. (2 Kings 4:26-27)
How often we are troubled, the promise has faded, our faith is crushed, and we try to act like everything is okay. But when she gets close to Elisha, he discerns there is a problem. We must be honest with ourselves, others, and God.
She is angry with Elisha, and most likely with God. Her faith is being tested. “Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me’?” (vs. 28 NKJV)
In my words, “I didn’t ask for more heartache, pastor!” or “Why God?! Why are you allowing this? Why has my hope died once again?”
The child dies because of external circumstances in which she has no control over. Situations happen in life, most of which we have no control over. The result, these situations can rob us of life, peace, and joy in God.
Lack of control breeds fear in many. Fear is the opposite of faith, but genuine trust in the Lord builds greater faith.
If we allow external circumstances to dominate our thinking, they can even move us from steadfast faith and trust in God and from His promise to us. We can either become better or bitter, stronger in God or weaker in faith. In moments like these, we learn how great God is.
King David said in Psalm 27:13, “I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.” (NKJV) David was filled with faith and knew he would see God’s favor and blessing in his life and circumstances.
Believed is from the Hebrew word ’Aman, which means to be firmly persuaded. ’Aman is used in Gen 15:6 when Abraham “believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” This is the passage where God promises a son (see Rom. 4:3,9).
How steadfast is our faith? How deep is our trust that God is for us no matter what the circumstances dictate?
We must have a revelation and firm belief in the goodness of the Lord during suffering. This is essential to living a victorious Christian life. This doesn’t mean that everyone will be healed or that miracles will occur in every situation. But we must hold fast in faith, believing God is good and wanting to move miraculously in our lives.
People often lose faith and even give up on God because they misunderstand hardship and suffering in this life. Theodicy is the #1 reason people give up on God (thinking if God is good, why is there suffering). Many believe that God brings people closer to Himself only through blessing them. This is a wrong understanding—both blessing and suffering are used to develop us into Christ’s likeness and God’s image.
Has a promise died? Have you lost hope in God’s goodness and mercy? If so, your faith is being tested, and like the Shunammite woman, you are in a good place for a miracle.
Faith believes in Miracles
The Shunamites son is raised from the dead (2 Kings 4:29-37)
Possibly to calm the woman, Elisha tells his servant to quickly go on ahead of them and to lay his staff on the face of the child. He does so and discovers the child isn’t speaking or hearing and goes back to Elisha and tells him that he hasn’t awakened (vs. 29).
In other ancient Near Eastern texts, prophets also send items that belong to them to accomplish a miracle. In 2 Kings 13, we read of how Elisha died, and someone who also died was placed on his bones, and they came back to life!
When Elisha comes into the house, he discovers the child is lying there dead. He leaves the mother and his servant outside the room, closes the door, and prays to the Lord. The key is prayer and obedience!
Jesus does a similar thing in praying for the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:22-24, 35-43). Word comes that his daughter died, but Jesus tells him, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” (Mark 5:36 NKJV)
Jesus brings along Peter, James, and John, takes the father and mother only, prays for her, and she is raised from the dead – and they are overcome with great amazement!
Fear wants to masquerade as reality in situations; God tells us not to fear, but rather to believe. Over the years, I have met people who have been used by God to raise the dead. There is no formula for this.
For example, I met an African pastor’s wife who God used to bring two babies back to life on separate occasions. She simply held their lifeless bodies all night and prayed, sang, and worshipped God. In both cases, at the break of day, the babies opened their eyes and were alive! She simply became a conduit of God’s love and grace in an impossible situation.
Elisha prays and then begins to lay upon the child, his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, his hands on his hands. The flesh of the child becomes warm—the miracle begins to unfold (Vs. 34).
Elisha then goes and walks back and forth in the house, probably praying but we aren’t sure. He then goes back up, starts the process again and then the child sneezes seven times (God’s perfection) and opens his eyes – it’s a miracle! (Vs. 35)
Final Thoughts
Keep in mind that Faith is Bold; it declares and acts upon what God is revealing.
Faith is Often Tested; therefore, we must trust God during suffering and disappointment, knowing that He has our best interest in mind. God will and does work all things together for the good for those who love Him! (Rom. 8:28)
Faith believes in Miracles, even when the promise has died, and hope seems lost.
What promise has died, that is causing you to lose hope or fear today? Do not be afraid; only believe! Learn to make a bold confession of God’s nature, feed on His promises, and declare God’s goodness in the face of trial and impossibility.
