The Baby You Thought Would Never Come

In 2 Kings 4, the Bible introduces us to a Shunammite woman who was unable to have children. She was married to a wealthy man and used her money to build a room above their house for the prophet Elisha.

Despite her prosperity, this woman also had a need. She was childless, and her husband was an old man. At this point, it would take a miracle for them to bear children.

However, Elisha told her one day, “About this time next year you shall embrace a son” (v. 16). When the man of God started talking to her about having a baby, she basically said, “Don’t play with my emotions!” But then she surrendered to God’s plan in her life.

The Bible tells us the amazing result of this promise from God: “The woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her” (v. 17).

Holding on the Promise

I understand the plight of this woman. The doctors told my wife and me that we would never have kids. They said it was medically impossible. But you see, when I met my wife, God told me we were going to have children. So, despite what the doctors said, I decided to put my faith in God’s promise.

One day I surprised my wife by telling her, “Let’s go to BabiesRUs.” We went and got all kinds of stuff there, and we took it into the baby room to dress it up.

But five years went by, and there was still no baby.

What do you do when you take steps of faith and believe God for a miracle yet nothing seems to be happening? How do you respond when you believe you’ve done what you’re supposed to do, but you don’t see the hand of God at work?

It would have been easy for my wife and me to walk away and simply say, “God, You lied to us!” Yet we didn’t. In fact, every day I passed by that room and I would remind the Lord that He had made me a promise.

“Thank You, Lord,” I would pray. “You’ve promised that You’re going to give us children. That room is a reminder of Your promise, and You cannot stand by and let the enemy laugh at us.”

Despite seeing no evidence that our circumstances were changing, I would continually tell God, “I believe You’re going to do something supernatural for us, just like you did for the Shunammite woman.”

Finally… The Breakthrough

In God’s time, we received the good news that my wife was pregnant. After 16 years of waiting, the blessing finally arrived. And the Lord wasn’t done yet. Sixteen months later my wife gave birth to our second son.

Friend, God is no respecter of persons. Just as He blessed this woman and blessed my wife and me He wants to bless you and fulfill every promise.