Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.” 2 Kings 4:10
In today’s anchor scripture, Elisha was going to Shunem for some business. The bible doesn’t say what. Scripture however records that as he passed through the city, a notable woman invited him into her house, and gave him food and drink. As often as Elisha passed this route, the woman invited him in and took care of his needs. Elisha seemed to go to Shunem regularly.
One day, this woman, who the bible describes as notable, went to her husband and requested that they renovate their house, to carve out a room for Elisha so that he would have his own comfort zone whenever he came in. She would not only give him food, but also give him a bed to sleep, a table, a chair and a lampstand. She was going to create a mini-apartment for the man of God!
As I meditated on this scripture, the Spirit of God seemed to imprint a message in my spirit: There are various levels of service! The woman in our scripture began with giving food. That was great! Bible says that whatever we do to the least of our brethren, we do unto God. Giving Elisha food and drink was service to God!
It was one level of service! When she went a step further, to renovate her house for the man of God, she was entering into a totally different realm of service! It was this new realm she entered into, that qualified her for God’s unusual visitation in her life! Further down in that scripture, this woman’s son, fell ill and died! God visited her home and raised him from the dead – she had provoked God by ‘up-ing’ her level of service!
My mother in the Lord shared a story with me. Back home in Africa, a woman whose daughter had been ill one night, finally lost her in the early hours of the morning. It was a Saturday morning and this woman had a weekly prayer meeting she attended in church.
When she found out that the baby was dead, she left the baby in the house, came to church, praised, prayed and performed all her duties with the rest of the group. She would not let anything stop her from entering into God’s presence, not even her dead daughter.
After the service, she decided to go home and now grieve and deal with the death but she met a large number of people in front of her house. They all seemed angry with her and began scolding her. ‘How could you leave a child alone in the house unattended?’ they screamed!
Apparently, as she raised the bar of service high, by going to serve God even when she had an excuse to moan and lament and cry at home, God visited her home and raised her daughter from the dead! As at a few years ago, this child who God raised was alive, well, and now in turn, serving God on tremendously high levels!
What is your level of service? What are you doing for the kingdom? Have you been on the same level for ages? Are you quick to point out what pastor is corrupt or how new generation churches are shady? Should that really be your focus?
Some of us are even serving in one capacity or the other, this is fantastic but have you raised the bar? The woman in our scripture moved from just giving food, to renovating! What next level can you move to in service of God? Go an extra mile and set yourself up for uncommon miracles!
May God help us all!
Prayer:
Father in the name of Jesus. Thank you for your word today. Please help us to seize every opportunity to serve! Take all the glory Almighty God, in Jesus mighty name we have prayed!
If God has spoken to you through this message or if you have been blessed in anyway by this, please drop me a line on audio[email protected].
Remember, wrapped up in God’s word is ALL you need for your change to come!
This is so on point especially in this season that i feel God is saying to me to “Come Up Higher”.
‘Blessings!