“Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.” II Kings 4:35
If you were trying to open a friend’s house and the key they gave you didn’t work, I doubt many would give up and say “well, guess it wasn’t meant to be” after only one turn! No, you would try another key, look under the rug for a spare or even call your friend to see if they could help. In the same way, Elisha wanted to help the Shunammite’s son who had fallen ill and died. But the thing I notice most about this passage is persistence. Elisha did not give up when the staff laid on the boy didn’t work. He didn’t run out to the house cursing God when his prayer wasn’t answered immediately. He didn’t even lose faith when he was body to body with this boy and nothing happened. It wasn’t until the fourth try did the Lord, in His timing, bring about life. God is not on our “schedule” nor are we guaranteed an immediate answer from Him after one prayer. Persistence, faith, and a desire to see the Lord’s will be done are the keys. Which one of them is the hardest for you to “turn?”