Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 8

Elisha had told the woman whose son he had brought back to life, “Take your family and move to some other place, for the Lord has called for a famine on Israel that will last for seven years.” So the woman did as the man of God instructed. She took her family and settled in the land of the Philistines for seven years.

After the famine ended she returned from the land of the Philistines, and she went to see the king about getting back her house and land. As she came in, the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God. The king had just said, “Tell me some stories about the great things Elisha has done.” And Gehazi was telling the king about the time Elisha had brought a boy back to life. At that very moment, the mother of the boy walked in to make her appeal to the king about her house and land.

“Look, my lord the king!” Gehazi exclaimed. “Here is the woman now, and this is her son—the very one Elisha brought back to life!”

“Is this true?” the king asked her. And she told him the story. So he directed one of his officials to see that everything she had lost was restored to her, including the value of any crops that had been harvested during her absence. — 2 Kings 8:1-6

AND SHE TOLD HIM THE STORY

God had done something wonderful for this woman, and she was willing to use that story for God’s purposes. She was willing to retell her story of how her son had been dead, but now he was alive and standing beside her. The woman was grateful for the miracle she had witnessed firsthand, but it was not just her story to tell — she realized her story fit into God’s story.

What has God done for you? How does your story fit into His? Perhaps there is someone who needs to hear your story in order to trust God with their own.

EVERYTHING SHE HAD LOST WAS RESTORED TO HER

Sometimes our story is like this woman’s — a story of God performing a miracle of healing for ourselves or for someone we love. But sometimes our story holds memories of regret and pain. It can be difficult to share the difference God has made in your life when it reveals a moment that holds shame or embarrassment. Perhaps God wants to restore what you have lost by using your story to help others.

I am grateful this morning that we serve a God who is willing to redeem our story for His purposes. Father God, I give you permission to use me in the lives of others today. Give me eyes to see the opportunities you will place before me, trusting in you to restore what I have lost. Amen.