Coffee With The Lord

Good things happen to kind and generous people!  Go ahead and do what is right and good and let the Lord surprise you with His blessing!!

Those were the thoughts that entered my mind as I read the full story of the Shunammite woman and Elisha the prophet this week…  (You’ve got to read it… it’s amazing!  (2 Kings 4.8-37 and then 8.1-6)

This wonderful lady opened her home to the prophet.  She periodically prepared and provided a wonderful meal for him whenever He and his servant would stop by her home.  She even, in a wonderful expression of generosity and kindness, appealed to her husband to prepare a “prophet’s chamber” for them (a hotel-like room for him and his servant to stay and refresh themselves for a few days).

Her generosity and kindness did not go unnoticed!  One day Elisha had his servant approach her and ask this question, “You have gone to all this trouble for us.  Now what can be done for you?”  He offered to do several things on her behalf but she deferred from asking for ANYTHING in return (which is just the way this kind of person acts).

The prophet’s servant reminded the prophet that she had not been able to have a child.  The prophet, prompted by the Holy Spirit, prophesied she would have a son in about a year.  And to her and her husband’s delight it came to pass!  But one day, out in the fields, the son fell sick and died.  She was devastated and sent and called for the prophet.  In bitter grief she told the prophet what had happened.  Elisha hurried to their home, went up into the room where the dead child was and miraculously, the child was raised from the dead.

Story not over…

Elisha warned the family of a coming famine and urged them to go away for a while so they would be able to survive.  They went to the land of the Philistines for seven long years.  Afterward they returned to Israel and made an appointment to appeal to the king to get their land back.  Just as they arrived, it happened that Gehazi, the servant of the prophet, happened to be meeting with the king and at his request and was reporting some of the wonderful things God had done through the ministry of the prophet.  Just as he was telling the king about the very occurrence of raising the Shunammite’s son back to life, who should appear for her appointment with the king but the Shunammite!!  Gehazi exclaimed, “This is the woman, my king, and this is her son Elisha brought back to life!”  The king’s response?  He said, “Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now!”

Wow!!  God causes good things to happen to kind and generous people!  Reminds me of a well-known and quoted Biblical principle: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)  Lesson one more time… Good things happen to kind and generous people!  Go ahead and do what is right and good and let the Lord surprise you with His blessing!!

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Here it is… I read it this morning during “Coffee with the Lord in my Bible.  Decided to find some pics on Google to illustrate it.  Have a feeling I’ll be reflecting on the significance of it in my life all day long…

Jesus said it… “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit… Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.  If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples… You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.  (from John 15:1–17 ESV)

The basics… Some preliminary observations…

Jesus is the “vine” – the source of our life and fruitfulness!

To be “fruitful” in my life as a Christian I must “abide in Him!” – that’s the secret of “fruitfulness” … without Him I can do nothing!!

The Heavenly Father is the “vinedresser” – He will do whatever he needs to do in my life to make me “fruitful” (even MORE fruitful)!

The second secret of fruitfulness – responding positively to the “vinedresser” – my Heavenly father’s “pruning”

The Father is glorified when I “bear MUCH fruit”!  That is why he “chose” me… that I would “bear fruit”… “MUCH fruit”!

And finally, this morning… to not “bear fruit” has sad consequnces (verse 6)!  To “abide in the vine” and “bear fruit” has wonderful results (verse 7 and 16)!

A wonderful, rich analogy!!  Yes, I’m going to be reflecting on it all day!