Everything is alright. 2 Kings 4:22
Some of us may be aware of the words which have found their
way onto posters, wall plaques, greetings cards, and attributed to Mother
Julian of Norwich: ‘All will be well and all will
be well and all manner of things will be well.’ This can, of course seem like a mind over
matter mantra, a desperate grasping at straws, a reluctance to see the chaos
and pain in a situation and to speak empty words of reassurance over it. However, this truth must surely be at the
heart of our Christian faith. Despite
outer turbulence, chaos, distress and disorder which Jesus assured us we would
experience in this world, God is sovereign and there is a place of deep peace
and rest of those who trust in Him. He
has overcome the world and he is at work in all things for the good of those
who love Him.
In our chapter today, we move from large-scale battle scenes,
kings, armies, a spectacular, miraculous intervention from the Lord of hosts,
the destruction of the Moabite army and the tragic and futile sacrifice by the
Moabite king of his son to secure success against Edom
A godly widow and her two sons on the brink of poverty and
slavery are rescued as she obeys Elisha’s instruction to borrow jars
(irrespective of what her neighbours would think!!) to be filled with the
miraculously unceasing flow of oil. What
an amazing learning experience for those two boys gathering jars and witnessing
the most extraordinary miracle of provision before their eyes.
The Shunnamite woman’s longing for a son is fulfilled – and
even when he is apparently cruelly taken from her, she does not despair. Refusing to be sidetracked or distracted, she
goes to the source of hope and help, determined that Elisha who foretold the
son’s birth would, though God’s power, restore life to him again.
All is well with the starving prophets whose supper had been
contaminated by a toxic plant when Elisha neutralises the effect of the
poison. The feeding of the 100 from 20
loaves is a prototype of the miracles Jesus performed demonstrating God’s
compassion for our frailty and his power to meet our very physical and material
needs.
Claim God’s peace and steadiness today in the face of
challenges, sorrows and turbulence.
Choose to trust in Jesus who says, ‘I have overcome the world’.
Jn 16:33.
‘Everything is alright.’
(member of women’s ministry)