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The Persona of a Diva
Though unnamed, the Shunammite woman takes her place in the pages of biblical history because of her gift of hospitality. But beyond that, she had an unswerving faith in the face of tremendous challenge. After inviting Elisha, a prophet of God, to be a guest in her home and serving him with great care, Elisha perceives her desire for a child and blesses her to have one. When the child dies, the woman goes in pursuit of Elisha to come and raise her child from the dead, which he does!
In later years, under Elisha’s direction, she leaves her home to avoid severe famine. After returning, she visits the king to retrieve her property. Upon hearing of her son’s miraculous resurrection, he gives her back not only the land she once owned, but the profits of the land from the past seven years when she was absent.
After the death of her child, the woman could have concluded that God isn’t really good after all. She could have gotten caught up in a blame game about all of her bad fortune. Instead, she chose to live in the present and extend herself beyond her comfort zone. She never lost her faith and did not take the time to complain. She focused on the solution and pursued it.
The Shunammite woman’s no-nonsense approach to life caused her to truly appreciate the prophet Elisha and his forthright approach to faith in God. She took pleasure in extending the gift of hospitality to him, never dreaming of the reward that she would reap for doing so.
The Shunammite woman was wealthy, prominent, influential in her social circle, and blessed with a generous husband. She recognized something special about Elisha and submitted her thoughts to her husband. Elisha was a man of God; he was not like the other preachers who had come to town. There was something different about him. She didn’t just do what was convenient to serve Elisha; she went the extra mile! She had a room built for him on the roof of her house.
Div-otion
Dear heavenly Father, help me to learn to live life gracefully. As I grow through the giving of myself and weathering life’s difficulties, instill within me sound character and integrity that bring glory to You and blessing to others. Amen.
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About this Plan
Deep inside the heart of every woman is a diva just waiting to be released. It lies underneath all of the other things she has supposedly learned about herself. Michelle McKinney Hammond shines a spotlight on fourteen women of the Bible who displayed diva-tude. In the process, she encourages women to embrace their God-given qualities and assets with the understanding that they are fearfully and wonderfully made.
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