Or maybe you see this in someone close to you-your child perhaps.
What can you do for them? When your child hurts, you hurt. But sometimes you just can't take away the pain they are going through.
My children are young and so, they have not experienced broken hearts, broken dreams, financial burdens, etc in the same ways we face as adults. They have been blessed so far with good health and I pray that continues. Therefore, I have not had to witness them suffer the way some parents do. But if you've ever experienced the worry, anxiety, and concern that comes with a child (no matter their age) suffering whether it is physically, emotionally or financially, to the point where you can't see their spark, their joy, their fire anymore, I think you'll appreciate this story in 1 Kings. I know it brought me great comfort.
And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in Him. - 1 Kings 17:17
In this story Elijah is staying with a widow and her son according to what the Lord had commanded him to do. The widow didn't have much, but she opened her home at his word that while he was there her meal and oil would not be used up. (Side note, when we follow Gods lead to be hospitable despite our lack, He has a way of providing for us more than we need.) While Elijah is staying at this house, the young boy gets sick and then dies.
Can you imagine yourself in the widow's shoes? You have a man of God that you're trying to be hospitable to, and the next thing you know, your life completely turns upside down. Her response is completely natural.
And she said to Elijah. "What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? Art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?- 1 Kings 17:18
She begins to question Elijah. "Why is this happening? Is this to remind me of my sins?" She is questioning whether things in her past have anything to do with the suffering her son went through, and the pain she now feels as she grieves his lost life. Don't we do this same thing? Do we not blame ourselves for the suffering our kids face even if there was nothing we could have done to prevent it?
Skipping down to verse 20 where Elijah prays to God.
And he cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.-1 Kings 17:20-22
Let's just camp here for a minute. This is what struck me when I read through it, and the reason I'm writing this post. So, the Lord brings this little boy to life again, and theres no doubt it's a miracle. However, there are other resurrections in the Bible and so maybe that alone doesn't give you any sort of new inspiration. But if we bring it to today, and take it off of the physical resurrection and think of it in terms of emotionally or spiritually, what goes on here brings new meaning.
First off, what a beautiful prayer! And one we can pray today for our children, our friends, or whoever it may be in our life that has lost a bit of themselves in the midst of life's trials. "Lord, let her soul come into her again. Bring her back Lord. She's a dead man walking. We miss her. Breathe new life into her."
And I suppose the simple take away is that He is able. He is able to restore a person's spirit so that they can really live again. He is able to heal whatever is broken. He is able to revive.
Maybe its not someone else, but you see yourself in this position. You feel as if your spirit has left you and you're just a shell of who you used to be. This is a prayer you can pray for yourself as well.
"Let my soul come into me again, Father. Help me find my joy again, only in you. I don't want to just go through the motions. I want the life more abundantly that you have promised. Breathe new life into me."
I'll leave you with this, and I hope it brings comfort. The scripture says the Lord heard the prayer, the soul of the child came into him again and he revived. Our God is able to revive.
And she said to Elijah. "What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? Art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?- 1 Kings 17:18
She begins to question Elijah. "Why is this happening? Is this to remind me of my sins?" She is questioning whether things in her past have anything to do with the suffering her son went through, and the pain she now feels as she grieves his lost life. Don't we do this same thing? Do we not blame ourselves for the suffering our kids face even if there was nothing we could have done to prevent it?
Skipping down to verse 20 where Elijah prays to God.
And he cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.-1 Kings 17:20-22
Let's just camp here for a minute. This is what struck me when I read through it, and the reason I'm writing this post. So, the Lord brings this little boy to life again, and theres no doubt it's a miracle. However, there are other resurrections in the Bible and so maybe that alone doesn't give you any sort of new inspiration. But if we bring it to today, and take it off of the physical resurrection and think of it in terms of emotionally or spiritually, what goes on here brings new meaning.
First off, what a beautiful prayer! And one we can pray today for our children, our friends, or whoever it may be in our life that has lost a bit of themselves in the midst of life's trials. "Lord, let her soul come into her again. Bring her back Lord. She's a dead man walking. We miss her. Breathe new life into her."
And I suppose the simple take away is that He is able. He is able to restore a person's spirit so that they can really live again. He is able to heal whatever is broken. He is able to revive.
Maybe its not someone else, but you see yourself in this position. You feel as if your spirit has left you and you're just a shell of who you used to be. This is a prayer you can pray for yourself as well.
"Let my soul come into me again, Father. Help me find my joy again, only in you. I don't want to just go through the motions. I want the life more abundantly that you have promised. Breathe new life into me."
I'll leave you with this, and I hope it brings comfort. The scripture says the Lord heard the prayer, the soul of the child came into him again and he revived. Our God is able to revive.
