God Gives Us Back the Life That Was Taken Away from Us
The room was quiet. The boy lay still on the bed lifeless. He was gone. Elisha, the prophet, entered, shut the door, and prayed to the Lord. And then, life returned. “Take your son,” Elisha said (2 Kings 4:36).
That moment is striking because of how rare it is. Even in Scripture, resurrections are few. In our world, they seem impossible. One well-known American preacher claimed a resurrection at one of his campaigns in . . . . Africa, but later had to admit that he was not sure if the man had actually been dead or not. It’s such a bold claim to say you raised someone from the dead that most won’t even attempt it. How could you fake that? So many conclude that this life is all there is. We live, we die, and that’s the end.
But this account is not just about one boy in ancient Israel. It is a window to what God is doing behind the scenes all the time. Death entered the world through sin (Romans 5:12). It took from us the life God intended. But God does not give up on us.
Through Jesus Christ, something even greater happens every day. Souls dead in sin are brought to life through faith and awaken in glory with God.
Forgiveness restores what sin stole. Christ’s resurrection is not uncertain or hidden. Many witnesses saw him, and Scripture records it for us.
Jesus gives this promise: “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). The boy in that room received his life back for a time on earth. In Christ, you are given back your life forever.
32When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. 33He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord…. 36Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” And he did. When she came, he said, “Take your son.” (2 Kings 4:32-33,36)