What can we learn about God's timing from the events in 2 Kings 4:18? Setting the Stage - Elisha had prophesied a son for the Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:16–17). - “And the child grew, and one day he went out to his father with the reapers” (2 Kings 4:18). - This single verse bridges years of ordinary life between a miraculous birth and a coming crisis (vv. 19–37). A Promise Fulfilled—But Not Immediately - The prophecy was instant; the pregnancy and growth took time. - God’s timetable often includes both the miraculous and the mundane. • He promised Abraham a son—yet Isaac arrived decades later (Genesis 12:2; 21:1–2). • Jesus was “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8), but His atoning death occurred in real historical time. - Waiting seasons do not negate God’s faithfulness; they demonstrate it. The Silent Years: God’s Timing in the Mundane - Verse 18 compresses perhaps a decade of quiet parenting, play, and development. - Scripture gives no dramatic detail for those years, underscoring that God is as present in everyday growth as in spectacular miracles. - Psalm 37:23: “The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way.” • Every step—learning to walk, speak, and work—was ordered before the crisis ever appeared. Appointed Moments: When the Child Steps into the Field - “One day” signals a divinely appointed moment. • Ecclesiastes 3:1: “There is an appointed time for everything…” - Timing placed the boy with his father and the reapers, allowing swift help when he collapsed (v. 20). - God’s sovereignty aligned people, place, and purpose for what would become a testimony of resurrection power (vv. 32–37). Lessons for Us Today - God’s timing weaves miracles into ordinary life. • Expect Him both in sudden interventions and in slow growth. - Delays do not equal abandonment. • 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise…” - Daily faithfulness prepares us for unforeseen trials. • Galatians 6:9 encourages perseverance “in due time.” - “One day” moments are never random; they complete what God began. • Philippians 1:6: “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Supporting Scriptures on Timing - Psalm 31:15: “My times are in Your hands.” - Isaiah 60:22: “I, the LORD, will hasten it in its time.” - Habakkuk 2:3: “Though it delays, wait for it; since it will surely come and will not delay.” |
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