#87. Blessed Be the Name of the Lord!
And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out. Then she called to her husband, and said, “Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and come back.” So he said, “Why are you going to him today? It is neither the new moon nor the Sabbath.” And she said, “It is Well.”
II Kings 4:21-23 NKJV
Where will we run to in the day of adversity? Should we run to the hills to hide? Should we run to the leaders of the world for protection? Should we run to our financial assets to acquire safety? Should we run to false gods and idols to answer the desires of our hearts?
The Shunammite woman had just lost her young and only son. He died in her arms. She gently laid him down in Elisha’s room and then turned her attention to one thing, to the Lord and His prophet Elisha. She intended to go quickly to the man of God; she would not stop to mourn but would run to him.
She asked her husband to lend her one of the family’s employees and donkeys that she might make the greatest speed possible to reach Elisha, the man of God. Her husband, thinking she intended to offer a sacrifice and worship God at this time, asked her why she must go seeing as it was not the day of worship (the Sabbath), nor was it a separate special day of worship (the new moon). Both the husband and the wife had their hearts at this grievous time on the blessing and worship of the Lord.
As Job spoke those memorable words that we visited in the last devotional, he did not end with “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away…” but he continued, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
I have had occasion to observe several unbelievers respond to tragedy and unexpected death. The responses vary but often include loud cursing, anger, and rage. Others respond almost completely opposite with no words at all… and no hope. It is a terrible thing to face loss without the Lord because it is a reminder of the spiritual state apart from the Lord.
Though Christians grieve, mourn, and lament deeply the losses they experience in this life, it is not a grieving without hope. For though great loss transpires and suffering occurs (and they will for the Christian) yet the Lord our God cannot be taken from us. So we grieve as those with hope in the Lord and bless the name of the Lord.
At the hour of great need, the Shunammite woman went to the place of help, she would go to the prophet of the Lord who would reveal to her the very word of the Lord. Where do you go in your days of adversity and need? “My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2). Let us bless the name of the Lord who does all things well.
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