Hospitality: From Bread To Blessing

hospitality-offering-bread-to-someone

 

The Shunammite woman spoken of in II Kings 4 was a woman given to hospitality.  Elisha, while passing through Shunam, was invited by what the Bible calls “a great woman” to come into her home and eat bread.  This woman perceived that he was a holy man and told her husband that she wanted to make a small room for him so that when he came by he would have a place to rest.

Elisha appreciated her hospitality and on one visit asked his servant to call the Shunammite woman.  Elisha asked her how he could show his appreciation to her.  She didn’t ask for anything.  He then turned to his servant, Gehazi, and asked him what they could do for her.  Gehazi told Elisha that she had no child and her husband was old.  Elisha then told the Shunammite woman that she would have a baby.  She could hardly believe her ears and told Elisha not to lie to her.

A year later she had a son as Elisha promised.  Can you even imagine her delight? When the child was grown he became ill and died.  This woman didn’t share her sadness with anyone, not even her husband but instead immediately prepared to go to Elisha, God’s Representative.  Her faith was going to the market, Elisha, and she wasn’t going to settle for anything less than a full basket from Elisha.  What faith!  God honored her faith and used Elisha to bring her son back to life.

This is such an amazing story…and it all started with the Shunammite woman being given to hospitality.  Think of the blessings she would have missed had she not been willing to share her bread.   Why don’t you look for opportunities to let your home be used by God to bless another person?
 

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