I
don't know about you, but I often find myself regretting missed opportunities
for service. Times when a chance to do a good deed goes undone because I was so
wrapped up in my own world and the magnitude of my problems. You know, times
when you could have let someone out of the parking lot into ongoing traffic,
but you just pulled up and blocked their access; all because you were focused
on your destination and the time it was taking to get there. Or how about a
homeless person, standing feet away from your car at a stop sign? But, after
you look both ways and see that the road is clear, you speed ahead, never
realizing that a time of blessing just slipped through your fingers.
If
only we could teach ourselves to be more observant to our surroundings and the
people and opportunities that God places in our daily paths; however, sometimes
we may need a little help in knowing that an opportunity even exists....like the
story of Elisha and the Shunammite woman found in 2 Kings 4: 8-15.
As
the story goes, Elisha traveled through Shuhen on a pretty regular basis and
was persuaded by a Shunammite woman to stop at her home and let her feed him.
In fact, she even got her husband to build a room on the upper outer wall,
complete with table, chair, bed and a lampstand...all the comforts of home that
this holy man of God might require to rest from his journeys. This sojourning
probably went on for some time, when one day while staying in the room, Elisha
called his servant, Gehazi, and ask him to bring the woman to him. As she stood
in the doorway, Elisha, seeking to do her a good turn for the kindness she had
shown him, asked if he might intercede on her behalf with the king or the
commander of the army? She told him that was not necessary and left...which
left Elisha puzzled as to what he might do to repay her kindness?
And
that's where the story takes a new turn as Elisha asks his servant "What
then is to be done for her? To which his servant, Gehazi replies, "Actually,
she has no son, and her husband is old."
And
why is that important? Because in Old Testament times, if a woman was barren,
cultural mores believed she was cursed and should be ashamed by her inability
to bear children....and since her husband was old, if he died, she would likely
end up impoverished and destitute. So, Elisha had his servant summon her again,
and this time as she stood in the doorway, he told her that this time next
year, she would hold her son in her arms...AND SHE DID JUST THAT!
And
all of this came about because of the observant servant, Gehazi. Now
speculation would have us surmise that Elisha just had too much on his mind to
see what had to be obvious...she was childless and her husband was old....not a
good scenario for a woman in those times. However, his servant was quick with
his answer with the perfect kindness that Elisha, through the power of mighty
Jehovah, could bestow on this kind and thoughtful woman...a woman who was not a
Jew, but knew a man of God when she saw one. She had a need and with a little
nudge from a observant servant, the man of God gave her an unspeakable gift in
thanks to her and her willingness to show him and his servant the simple
kindness of hospitality.
So
what does this story say to you and me? First off, God has called each of us to
be like His Son, who came "to seek
and to save those who were lost"....to have a servant's heart and to
always be ready to give out of our bounty, as well as out of our need. And to
do that and do that well, we must be an Observant Servant...ready to see the
need; ready to meet the need; and ready to praise the ONE that makes that
possible in every situation. So again I will ask...
ARE YOU AN OBSERVANT SERVANT?
Eyes
wide open...ready to see, ready to do, ready to serve,
WPQ
Poem for the day....
Our Father has
laid before each of us
The opportunity
to serve;
But it takes one
to be observant
And then to have
the nerve.
The nerve to go
to the mission field
Or stand beside
a hospital bed;
To seek to
alleviate the pain and loss
The fear...the
hurt...the dread.
The desire to
serve when no one will
To lay aside all
fears and doubts.
To give ourselves
in surrender
When our hearts
want to back out.
For if we want
to follow Him
And live as His
servant....
We must keep our
eyes wide open
As we learn to
be observant.
WPQ July 2020
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