The Power of Giving

Text: 2 Kings 4: 8-37
 
Introduction: Have you learned the POWER of GIVING? Funny, this is opposite of the world’s philosophy. The world says, “GET all you can, and can all you GET.” But God’s Word teaches if you want to have more…. GIVE more. Learn to GIVE; it is Biblical (not just money). Today, we follow two (2) main characters in a demonstration of this principle.
 

1. The Shunamite woman – a WOMAN of true Faith in the God of the Bible! (2Kings 4:8-37)

**She GAVE!

“8And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. 9And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. 10Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.”

**She RECEIVED!
(2Kings 4:14-17)

“4And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old. 15And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. 16And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. 17And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.”

**She LOST!
(2Kings 4:18-21)

“And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. 19And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. 20And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. 21And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out.”

**She RECEIVED again!
(2Kings 4:35-37)

“Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son. 37Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.”
 

2. Elisha – a true MAN of God who was used by the God of the Bible! (2Kings 4:8-10)

**He RECEIVED!

“And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. 9And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. 10Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.”

**He GAVE!
(2Kings 4:12-17; 18-35)

“12And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And when he had called her, she stood before him. 13And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people. 14And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old. 15And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. 16And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. 17And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.”

**He Prophesied (v16)

“16And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.”

**He Prayed (v33)

“33He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.”
 

Conclusion: In order to be BLESSED by our Lord, we must learn to GIVE. Not for credit or boasting, but rather for the
GLORY of God!

Have you been BLESSED?
Do you want to be a BLESSING?
Let’s keep GIVING!
And discover the “POWER of GIVING”!!
 
Love y’all,
Dr. Randy Reese