Warm up with yourself

2 Kings 4:32-37

We find enlightening lesson in the resurrection of the son of Shunammite; how do we have to behave (work) with spiritually dead that they’ll be returned to life.

Let’s take a look at one passage in the Saint Scripture about the resurrection:

1 Kings 17:17-23. Elijah raises the son of the woman from Zarephath.

According to Elisha’s example, personal participation is needed when you work with a person.

1) Child was dead and was laid on his bed. The same scene we see in Elijah’s situation (1 Kings 17:19). A dead person should be taken from the environment, where he has died, to the place where the life exists.

2) He closed the door and prayed with strength (2 Kings 4:33). It’s a pray with exceptional attention and concentration.

3) It’s not enough just to pray, we need to put personal efforts (2 Kings 4:34).

a) He lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands, i.e. we need entirely to devote ourselves in this work – to resurrect a dead.

b) We should warm up with ourselves.

c) It’s possible that we will have to do it a couple of times  (2 Kings 4:35. 1 Kings 17:21).

The resurrection from the spiritual death comes into reality, if we put our heart; we pray sincerely and make personal efforts and endeavours.

We see very similar situations in these examples:

Acts  20:9-10 – Paul embraced the youth who fell down from the third floor.

Acts  9:36-41 – Peter – Tabitha.

Mark 5:35-43 – Jesus – daughter of the synagogue official Jairus. (“Give her something to eat”; it’s an example that Jesus takes care of people in all aspects).

Other examples:

1)    The Good Samaritan showed heartfelt concern for the wounded

– The Priest and the Levite passed by.

2) Jesus was with sinners, and sought to warm them with His truth, His personal involvement.

– Pharisees estranged from them.

Hosea 11:7 –  Of course, there are “twice dead” who are not willing to turn from sin, and contact (work) with them will not give any positive results, but we must try to do what we can do. But for all that you cannot use coercion. Violence is unacceptable in matters of faith.

When we take a personal, sincere effort to save a person, when we understand the reasons for the fall of the sinner, and which way it goes up, and then we will not be like the Pharisees and priests with their extremes.

Let us be attentive to all people, especially those who need our participation in their life. We will devote all our strength, to warm them with our warmth.

E.G. White gives an example of warming the freezing person. When we thaw other people, we are warming ourselves.

By Vladimir Shelkov

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