Making Room For The King
(7 minutes)
Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food. And she said to her husband, “Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.” (2 Kings 4:8-10)
It was honoring an encounter that made this Shunammite Woman invite Elisha into her home for a meal. But it didn't stop there. She didn't settle. It was honor that compelled her to invite Elisha to her home for many meals. And did it stop there? Did she settle with many meals? No. At some point, she looks to her husband with another idea that was born out of her heart to honor Elisha. One meal wasn't enough. Many meals wasn't enough. She needed the presence of this man to be in her home continuously. But in order to do that, her and her husband needed to rearrange things and put things in order. Do you see this Shunammite Woman and her husband maturing, growing in their devotion? It starts with an intimate encounter, and then that is followed by honoring those intimate encounters over and over again.
And now we've arrived at the next place in our Ladder of Devotion, order. Authority is so important and incredibly undervalued and neglected within American Christianity. America is pushing for independence, but the Kingdom is trying to pull us into order and authority. We can see order in the life of this Shunammite Woman when she submits her ideas to her husband. We can see order in both her and her husband when they rearrange their home so that there can be spiritual authority covering them at all times (they made space for Elisha in the upper room that covered their house).
And let's look at the furnishings of this room and the order in which they come. Pastor Tim mentioned on Sunday that even these furnishings are important.
First, they put a bed in Elisha's room. This represents rest. "Nothing in the Kingdom happens if you can't rest. Let me put it another way, nothing in the Kingdom changes if you don't trust. We thought running around hysterically while we pray is how we get God to do what we need him to do and nothing is done while we are hysterical about what's happening. That means: where are you at in the situation? Can you rest? Can you get into a posture of rest no matter your circumstances?...The reason the bed is first is because until you learn to trust Him, you're going to struggle in intimacy." (Pastor Tim)
Second, she puts a table and chair in Elisha's room. And this is no ordinary table and chair. Pastor Tim told us on Sunday that this is a King's table and a throne. This represents the table that Yahweh prepares for us. "Here's the other thing about the table: the more you eat from the Kingdom of God, the more you understand His heart for every situation in your life." (Pastor Tim) And the chair is a throne, which represents the authority that Yahweh has, the Lordship that He has, over the issues of our lives.
Thirdly, she puts a lampstand in Elisha's room. "John writes in Revelation 2, that Jesus is the One who walks in the midst of the lampstand. Why? A lampstand has to be tended. Your passion, your fascination, the captivation with His face...these are things that must constantly be tended and they are tended in the lifestyle of devotion." (Pastor Tim)
"Can I tell you something about intimacy with Abba? I believe every single person in this room wants more of Him. I believe that you know He's in the room. But He does not kick down doors that He's not invited into. Let me put it another way, He does not enter spaces of our life that we do not make room for Him. If we're honest, there are some things that Jesus would like to say to every single one of us that we have not made room for Him to say." (Pastor Tim)
The Ladder of Devotion.
Maturing, growing in intimacy, honor, and order.
It truly does transform everything.
Determination can't engage with this devotional lifestyle, because it requires the heart. It requires fascination. Some of the things we do in our relationships with the people we love, some of the ways that we show honor, and come under authority, are not always easy, but the fascination makes the costs seem so incredibly small. Plenty of us have denied ourselves and sacrificed our future plans when we said, "I do," at an altar, and for the majority of us, it was the easiest decision we've ever made in our lives. Why? Fascination. Fascination doesn't stop long enough to count the cost.
It takes fascination with the face of Yahweh to build this Ladder of Devotion. It takes fascination with His face to engage in intimacy, honor, and order with an open heart.
Are you fascinated?
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Worship: "Lean Back" by Capital City Music
Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place
Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!
