FAITH CAPSULE: Care to give a concerned care for God’s sake and gain God’s attention.

2 Kings 4:8-37, Luke 10:5-37

For God’s sake, be concerned to care for others. Taking a chance to care for others for God’s sake is positioning one for the manifestation of God’s glory over one’s life. The Bible records about a notable woman of Shunem that was blessed for taking the chance to care for God’s sake. She was a woman whom Elisha often passed by her house. It is written, “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.” (2 Kings 4:8) Initially when Elisha was passing, all he was doing was stopping to eat. At a point in time the notable woman approached her husband, “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 4:9-10) The notable woman (Shunammite woman) was concerned to care for Elisha, the man of God, for God’s sake. Elisha recognized the caring which he received from the Shunammite woman and he sent his servant (Gehazi) to call the Shunammite woman for him. By virtue of the Shunammite woman’s concerned care, it became glaring to Elisha the need to pray that the Shunammite woman should have a son. The Shunammite gained favor of God when she cared for God’s sake. Elisha prayed for her and she was able to have a son despite the old age of her husband.
There are many ways of caring for strangers and non-strangers, but when such caring is for God’s sake, it provokes the hand of God for a favorable manifestation of God’s goodness and mercy in the life of the one who cares. Most importantly, when our concerned care necessitates taking unusual chances which lead to God’s glory, God’s attention to us becomes undeniable and profitable.
Jesus made us to realize that, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Mathew 5:7) Caring to impress man does not present anyone before God. Care to give a concerned care for God’s sake and gain God’s attention that delivers favorable mercy to the one who engages the chance to give concerned care.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to know to care when situations demands caring.