Today's Devotional

“So he said, ‘Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath.’ And she said, ‘It is well.’” — 2 Kings 4:23

Have you ever known someone who consistently spoke about what they believed their future would look like, even when their present circumstances gave no indication that it would happen? Perhaps it was a friend from childhood who always said they would become wealthy one day, even though they did not appear to have much at the time. Then, years later, you unexpectedly meet them and discover that what they had consistently spoken about had become their reality. I have heard stories like this before, and they remind me of the power our words can have. What we continually speak can shape our outlook, our faith, and even the way we respond to the circumstances around us.

In our anchor Scripture, the Shunammite woman gives us a powerful example of speaking from a place of faith. Her son had died, yet when her husband asked why she was going to see the man of God on a day that was neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath, she simply replied, “It is well.” She did not tell him that their son was dead. This was the son she had received as a miracle after Elisha had prophesied that she would have a son. At first, she had struggled to believe his words because she did not think it was possible. Yet she eventually had the child, only to experience the devastating loss of the very son she had received as a promise. Even then, she refused to let the tragedy have the final word.

When she finally met Elisha at Mount Carmel, and he asked her, “Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?” she again responded, “It is well.” She did not deny what had happened; she simply refused to allow the situation to have the final word. Her response demonstrated her faith and determination to seek God in the midst of an impossible situation. She was not going to settle for the death of her son as the final outcome. She went to the man of God believing that there was still hope. And God honored her faith and persistence as Elisha prayed for the boy, and he was restored to life and returned to his mother.

As humans, when we go through difficult situations, our natural inclination is to talk about what is happening and how challenging things are. Negative circumstances can give us every reason to speak negatively, but we must be determined not to glorify the problem. Instead, let us choose to make God bigger than the problem by declaring His Word and thanking Him for His faithfulness. As we continue to speak words of faith and hope, we will begin to see a turnaround and a positive outcome in the end.

This does not mean that we should pretend problems do not exist. Rather, it means that we should be careful not to let our circumstances become greater in our speech than the God who is greater than our circumstances. We can acknowledge what we are facing while still choosing to speak faith, hope, and trust in God.

As we read this devotional, let us remember that “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose” (Proverbs 18:21 MSG). Therefore, let us speak of God's goodness in the midst of difficulty, declare His faithfulness when circumstances are uncertain, and remember that “it is well” does not mean everything looks well; It is a declaration that the circumstance may be difficult, but our confidence remains in the God who is able to change them.

Prayer

Father, thank You for reminding us to use our mouths to declare Your goodness rather than glorify the negative situations we face in life. May our words reflect our confidence in You and in Your ability to turn difficult situations around. In Jesus’ name, Amen.