[The Shunammite] said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.” (2 Kings 4:9-10)
If a person of God were to come your way, would you make room for him or her? Would you welcome that person into your life and create a space for relationship? The amazing thing about the Shunammite woman is that she recognized that Elisha was a man of God, and then she responded by preparing a place for him so that he would continue visiting her home. The woman understood that by placing herself near to the man of God she would be drawing nearer to God himself.
One of the greatest joys of my life has been to place myself in the proximity of those who are near to God. In so doing, I have been immensely blessed by the resulting relationship as I have come to have a closer relationship with God because of my relationship with the other person. In order to have such a relationship, though, there has to be intentionality. We get to choose our company, and we choose wisely when we place ourselves in the company of those who are near to God.
As you assess your relationships, have you made room for men and women of God? Or are you content to fill your time with those who don’t give God much attention? Make sure you choose wisely because your friends influence the direction of your life.
Father, give me wisdom to recognize those people who are near to You, and then help me to make spending time with them a priority in my life. In so doing, let me actually draw nearer to You because of the profound influence they have on me.
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