2 Kings 4:30

New International Version

But the child’s mother said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.

For Encouragement

“Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?” the Shunammite woman cried. (2 Kings 4:28),

The Shunammite woman, filled with grief and longing, cried out, “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?” (2 Kings 4:28). She had come to terms with not having children and expected nothing in return when she gave Elisha a room. Her kindness was genuine. When Elisha promised her a son, she felt both hope and fear: “No, my Lord…Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!” (16). The miracle happened, and her son brought her great joy. But soon, tragedy struck while he was out in the fields with his father (18).

Worried, the Shunammite woman watched as her servants quickly brought her son to her. She wondered about his condition and why her husband was not there. She held her child as he lay limp in her arms, rocking him gently until, at noon, he stopped breathing (20). In her grief, she quietly asked, “Where is the man of God?”

Full of sorrow, she got on her donkey and traveled to Mount Carmel. She pleaded, “Did I ever ask you for a son, my lord? Did I not warn you not to give me hope?”

Elisha told her, “Do not worry, woman. My servant will go with you and revive the boy.” But the Shunammite mother insisted that only Elisha could help. She was determined that her son must live again, and only the prophet could bring her hope. So Elisha got up and followed her (30).

This is a mother’s heart: she will not rest until her child is safe and well. Even in the face of death, she keeps hoping for a miracle from above (37). She feels her child’s pain and will not rest until her little one is warm, fed, and happy. Only when her child is peacefully asleep does a mother allow herself to rest.

We also see a mother’s heart in Hagar. When the water ran out for her son Ishmael in the desert of Beersheba, she said, “I cannot watch the boy die …” And as she sat there, she sobbed (Gen. 21:16). A mother’s compassion is shown again when her child’s life is in danger, like the two women before King Solomon (1 Kings 3:16-27): “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!” (26). The woman described in Proverbs 31:10-31 shows the pure love a mother has for her family. The pain Mary felt (Lk. 2:19, 51) and the suffering of a mother as Jesus was put on trial, carried His cross, and was crucified also show this deep devotion. Truly, a mother’s heart is as pure as gold.

For all these reasons, we should daily honor our mothers and those who have mothered us, whether they are near or far. Hug yours often, if they are nearby. If they aren’t, call them from afar. They are among God’s most precious creations.

Pray with Me

Father, thank you for mothers. We appreciate them today and promise to be intentional in showing it as often as possible. For those you have not blessed to carry yet, help us make them feel loved as mothers, because they love the children around them. Amen.