21. Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!" 22. The LORD heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived. 23. Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, "Look, your son is alive!" 24. Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth."(NIV)
Elijah poured out his heart to the Lord. The happy news is that the Lord heard and answered his prayer. Remember what James said, “The fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Elijah not only had faith, but a heart right with God. He had passed the tests placed his way. He was willing to take whatever the Lord provided, whether staying in a barren cave with food from ravens or bread from a poor widow, staying at her humble home. He was grateful to receive these from the hand of the Lord. Now he prayed and the boy was brought back from the dead.
Some surmise when Elijah laid on the boy he was probably breathing into him. The skeptics are so quick to think of natural reasons instead of acknowledging God’s miracle. They fail to see the timing and the power which are also the interventions of our Almighty creative God. God uses circumstances to prepare us for bigger challenges in life when we are able to face smaller ones.
There are only 8 or 9 recorded incidences in all the Bible of people who were brought to life again. There were probably many more. It was authenticating ministry pointing people to God, to truth, to His glorifying power, but is He any less powerful when out of His sovereignty He decides to act differently? All those who were brought to life in the Bible eventually died again, including this boy. Remember, Lazarus had two funerals. Jesus was the only one, who after His resurrection, days later returned to His Father. All who believe in Him shall also be resurrected and go to the Father.
We live in a world filled with effects of sin and fallen nature. All will die unless Jesus comes first. It is proper to pray for healing and for divine intervention, to have God be glorified through normal and supernatural means. It is scriptural that His grace be made known even to endure sufferings of various sorts. He is still God.
Application: What do you do in tragedy? Express your emotion, your questions, your heart ache and your despair. Release the doubts. Recognize normal grief includes shock, anger, bargaining, depression. Seek to be a helper to others by practical ways of listening, helping, loving, and praying, but don’t fail to trust, trust and keep on trusting in the God who will never leave you nor forsake you. For to each one who has held tight to His hand, find it is His hand that is holding us. In Him is hope. I will praise Him in my joys and in my sorrows.
The woman had a new found faith in the Almighty.
Prayer: Lord, teach me to pray with a faith and fervency of Elijah.
