Daily Devotional

“The woman conceived and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her” (2 Kings 4:17). 

Giving birth after the age of forty-five is rare. But did you know that Dawn Brooke, a British woman, conceived naturally and gave birth to a son when she was fifty-nine years old? 

We don’t know exactly how old the Shunammite woman was when her son was born, but we do know it was a miraculous birth. Further, Elisha predicted the birth about a year before it happened. 

The Shunammite couple had been very kind to Elisha, first inviting him to eat with them whenever he happened by their home, and eventually building a room to make a nice place where the man of God could stay on his travels. In the way of a reward for their kindness, God provided them a son. 

Several years later, the boy was out in the fields with his father when he complained of a severe headache, and his father had a servant carry the boy to his mother. Probably a victim of heatstroke, the child sat in his mother’s lap until he died. 

His mother immediately took him to the prophet’s room and laid him on the bed. Then she tracked down the prophet at Mount Carmel and threw herself at Elisha’s feet in deep distress. 

Upon his arrival at the house, Elisha closed himself in the room with the child. After praying to God, he stretched himself out on the boy. Then he paced and did the same again. This time, the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. He was alive again! 

God used Elisha—who is a type, or symbol, of Christ—to give the woman’s son back to her. 

Have you lost loved ones? Jesus said, “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death” (Hosea 13:14). Because of Christ, who conquered death, we can look forward to the day when we will be reunited in His kingdom. 

Jesus, Lifegiver, thank You for defeating death and giving us eternal life through Your loving sacrifice.