“God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specifically armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain.” -CS Lewis
John 16:33
The woman from Shunem is an excellent example of a person going through pain without stain. Starting in 2 Kings 4:8, we learn that she was a great woman; Elisha spoke of her righteousness and when he traveled through Shunem, he often stopped by her house where she and her husband would provide him nourishment. She recognized Elisha's anointing and asked her husband if they could make a guest room for Elisha to stay during his travels. They did, and in return, Elisha prophesied to her that she would have a son, seeing that a child was the only thing she did not have.
Fast forward some years, and this son- that she did not ask for- gets sick and dies. What happens next is nothing short of remarkable. Clearly, she was in pain after having lost her only child, but as she prepared to go to Elisha- who gave the prophesy- her husband asked her why she was going to see him. Her response? “It shall be well” (verse 23.) Scripture never indicates that she told him that their child was dead. Even when she finally got to Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, he asked her if all was well with the child, and she responded, “It is well” (verse 26.) This woman refused to be captive to the thought of losing her only child. She would not succumb to grief; that would challenge and probably negate her faith. Instead, she got to Elisha, told him what happened, and Elisha followed her home and resurrected her son.
Being captive to pain is something I know well. Our mind replays the event and the subsequent pain over and over again and we experience the emotions over and over again to the point where it becomes familiar and difficult to break away from. But the Shunammite woman didn’t even allow her mind to engage with the pain for long. She didn't even verbalize it. Yes, her child was dead, but yes, she also believed the man of God would come and set things right again. Her faith wasn’t stained. It wasn’t compromised. We can learn so much from this woman about her obedience, her service, her faith, her tenacity, and her willingness to believe in the face of death.
The stain of sin and death was completely erased with Christ’s shed blood, but God never tells us in His Word that we won’t ever have pain. Quite the contrary, Jesus said that we would: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Going through the pain of life doesn’t have to include experiencing the stain of doubt and fear. As the adage says, “We don’t have to look like what we’ve been through!”
Prayer for Release: Lord, help me to see beyond what my eyes or even logic shows me. Help me to be free from believing anything short of what Your Word has said is true. I want to live my life in knowing that I do not have to be captive to my pain.