Persistent faith Friday 30th November 2018 'One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there.' 2 Kings 4:8 NIV When things start going wrong in our lives, do we start losing hope and give up praying because the breakthrough isn't coming, or do we expectantly and persistently keep the faith knowing that God will come through for us? The Bible tells the story of a woman and her husband who welcomed the prophet Elisha into their home. In return for their hospitality, Elisha asked what they wanted. They said, 'A son,' so they had one. But when their son was taken ill and died, the woman faced a crucial decision: would she lose hope and blame God for not providing a healthy child, or would she have faith? This woman believed that Elisha was a man of God, and that God could raise her son back to life. God came through for her; her son was brought back to life. And he can do the same in our lives too. Where there are things in our lives which have died - a dream, relationship or even our hope in God - he can bring them back to life. God's faithful and can breathe new life into us, and our situations. So, when everything we've longed for is falling apart or we're facing the toughest situation we've ever had to make, what will our decision be? Will we lose hope or will we be like the woman who persistently trusted God for the breakthrough? So what now? Been praying for something for a long time? Make the decision to trust God even more for the solution, rather than give up.
