By: Lauren Thomas
Don’t we love to search out the “why” for every difficulty we face? Almost as if having a reason might make things more bearable. We don’t usually get access to those reasons. But even when we don’t get a “why,” we can be confident that God wastes nothing: no difficulty, no tragedy, no grief is wasted by God.
It reminds me of an obscure Biblical drama that demonstrates this point.
It all begins in 2 Kings 4 when a wealthy Shunammite woman befriended and assisted the prophet, Elisha. In return, Elisha prayed that this barren woman be blessed with a son. God answered that prayer. But when the child was old enough to tag along with dad to work, he unexpectedly died after complaining of a headache. The Shunammite woman sought out the prophet. And the prophet, through the power of God, restored the child to life!
But that’s just the backstory to the drama.
In 2 Kings 8, Elisha told the Shunammite woman to leave the country because a seven-year famine would devastate the land. The woman did as the prophet told her. At the end of the seven years, she returned. And here is where the story gets interesting:
2 Kings 8:4-6 (ESV)
4 Now the king was talking with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me all the great things that Elisha has done.” 5 And while he was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and her land. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” 6 And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed an official for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, together with all the produce of the fields from the day that she left the land until now.”
I don’t know why the woman had to be childless. I don’t know why the boy had to die. I don’t know why they had to face famine and leave their country. But in the end, all was restored, because God wastes nothing. This is how God works!
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 (ESV)
In the life of the Shunammite woman, and in your life too, God wastes nothing.
Reflection:
Looking back, can you see any difficult circumstances in your life that ultimately resulted in greater good?
What struggles are you facing now? How might you receive hope by recognizing that God can repurpose those struggles for your good?
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