It Is Well (Hymns Collection) | Pastor Bryan Lamoureux | Reverb Church

Devotional

Day 1: Laying the Child on the Prophet’s Bed

When blessings become burdens, faith still moves toward God. The Shunammite woman’s greatest gift – her promised son – became her deepest grief. Yet she carried his lifeless body to the upper room prepared for Elisha, the same space where she’d once shown hospitality. Her act wasn’t resignation but raw trust, placing shattered hopes where divine encounters happened. True faith doesn’t hide pain but carries it to sacred spaces. [06:31]

And when the child had grown, he went out to his father among the reapers. And he said to his father, “Oh, my head, my head!” The father said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.” And when he had lifted him and brought him to his mother, the child sat on her lap till noon, and then he died. (2 Kings 4:18-20, ESV)

Reflection: What “child” – answered prayer or blessing – have you laid on God’s bed in grief? How might carrying your pain to sacred spaces shift your perspective?

Day 2: “Is It Well?” When Truth Outlasts Feelings

Three times Elisha asked if all was well. The Shunammite woman answered “It is well” while clutching her dead son. Her declaration wasn’t denial but defiance – affirming God’s character over crumbling circumstances. Like a tree declaring “I am alive” during winter’s barrenness, our confession roots deeper than seasonal storms. True wellness lives in who God is, not what He does. [07:34]

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you need to whisper “It is well” not because pain is gone, but because God’s faithfulness remains? How can today’s mercies meet yesterday’s wounds?

Day 3: Stretching Over Cold Promises

Elisha stretched his body over the dead child – mouth to mouth, hands to hands – mirroring resurrection’s first breath into dust. God often revives dreams through the warmth of His presence, not explanations. Like thawing frozen ground through steady pressure, He leans into our dead places until life stirs. Miracles begin when we let His heartbeat sync with our numbness. [28:33]

And he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. (2 Kings 4:34, ESV)

Reflection: What “cold” area of your life needs God’s persistent presence more than solutions? How might you posture yourself to receive His warming touch today?

Day 4: Anchored Where Waves Roll Deepest

Horatio Spafford wrote “It Is Well” while sailing over his daughters’ watery grave. His hymn anchors in oceanic truth – Christ’s grip outlasts life’s shipwrecks. Like a sea captain trusting submerged rocks won’t move, we fix our hope on immovable grace. Storms reveal what we’re moored to: shifting circumstances or the Rock ages cannot erode. [35:51]

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain. (Hebrews 6:19, ESV)

Reflection: What storm-tossed part of your story needs re-anchoring to Christ’s eternal victory? How does His “inner place” access change your perspective on surface-level waves?

Day 5: Scarred But Not Wounded

The Shunammite left Elisha’s room with a living son and a permanent scar. Healing transforms wounds into testimonies without erasing their history. Like resurrection scars on Christ’s hands, our mended places become proof of God’s repair work. We’re called to carry scars, not wounds – reminders of battles where Love triumphed, not open sores that dictate our present. [26:10]

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27, ESV)

Reflection: What scar have you been treating as a wound? How might embracing it as evidence of healing free you to comfort others with the comfort you’ve received?

Sermon Summary

Elisha’s account in 2 Kings 4 begins with a Shunammite woman whose generosity made room for the man of God. Her hospitality became the setting for a promise she never demanded, a son she had long desired but scarcely dared to hope for. That promised son then became the deepest pain of her life when he suddenly died in her arms.

The Shunammite woman shows that faithfulness does not make anyone immune to tragedy. Her life was generous, spiritually switched on, and committed to advancing God’s work, yet her son still died. Faith in Jesus does not promise an easy life in a broken world, but faith gives the wounded a loving Shepherd who never leaves, never forsakes, and has overcome the world.

Jesus defines abundant life as something loss, sin, suffering, and death cannot ultimately destroy. His peace does not rest in financial security, family circumstances, or having every question answered. His peace is found in Him, because He is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep and secured an eternal inheritance that moth and rust cannot touch.

The Shunammite woman also reveals that “all is well” does not mean nothing is wrong. Her words did not deny her grief, because her actions brought her straight to Elisha’s feet in bitterness and desperation. Faith does not silence grief. Faith gives grief somewhere to go.

God welcomes broken hearts, complaints, tears, fears, and persistent prayers at the feet of Jesus. His healing does not require wounded people to pretend they are fine or to build walls around tender places. His restoration may leave a scar that remembers what happened, but He does not desire His children to remain the walking wounded.

Elisha’s miracle restores the child, yet God never gives the woman an explanation for why the child died. God’s presence proves more secure than explanations, because finite minds cannot fully grasp the purposes of an infinite God. His sovereignty remains good and glorious even in chapters nobody would choose to write.

Horatio Spafford’s grief gives flesh to the hymn “It Is Well with My Soul.” The waves took his daughters from his arms, but they could not take his family from the hands of God. Christ remains the anchor of the soul, and His resurrection declares that death will not have the final word for those who belong to Him.

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Key Takeaways

1. Faith does not prevent tragedy Faithfulness is not a bargain that protects believers from every devastating chapter. The Shunammite woman served God and still suffered a loss that shattered her world. Jesus promises tribulation in this world, but He also promises His presence and His victory within it. [15:42]
2. Grief has somewhere to go Faith does not demand a quiet, polished, painless heart before God. The Shunammite woman said “all is well,” yet she fell at Elisha’s feet with the bitterness of her soul exposed. God is big enough for honest complaints, deep sorrow, and prayers that have been carried for decades. [24:15]
3. God heals more than memories A scar can remain without an open wound remaining. God does not erase every memory of pain, but He can restore a heart so that the memory no longer controls it. Jehovah Rapha meets wounded places with His presence, renewal, and healing. [26:10]
4. Presence matters more than explanations God restored the Shunammite woman’s son without explaining why he died. Human hearts often want the why behind every loss, but God does not always hand out explanations. His presence, sovereignty, and goodness become the place where faith anchors when answers do not come. [31:00]
5. Resurrection gives suffering its horizon The Shunammite woman received her son back, while Horatio Spafford did not receive his daughters back in this life. Christ’s resurrection declares that neither story ends in death for those who belong to Him. Jesus gives eternal hope that reaches beyond the grave and holds the soul steady now.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[03:30] - The Shunammite Woman’s Hospitality
[04:52] - A Promised Son
[05:47] - When the Promise Becomes Pain
[07:08] - “All Is Well”
[10:38] - How Can It Be Well?
[12:43] - Faith Does Not Prevent Tragedy
[17:41] - Jesus the Good Shepherd
[21:28] - Bring Broken Hearts to God
[27:12] - Peace Without Explanations
[28:33] - Elisha Raises the Child
[32:41] - The Story Behind It Is Well
[35:37] - Jesus, the Anchor of the Soul
[37:29] - Prayer for Healing
[41:08] - Invitation to Receive Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

2 Kings 4:8–37

Verse 8: One day Elisha went on to Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would turn in there to eat food. [03:40]

Verse 9: And she said to her husband, “Behold now, I know that this is a holy man of God who is continually passing our way.”

Verse 10: Let us make a small room on the roof with walls and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that whenever he comes to us, he can go in there.” [04:06]

Verse 11: One day he came there, and he turned into the chamber and rested there.

Verse 12: And he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite.” When he had called her, she stood before him.

Verse 13: And he said to him, “Say now to her, ‘See, you have taken all this trouble for us; what is to be done for you? Would you have a word spoken on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?’” She answered, “I dwell among my own people.”

Verse 14: And he said, “What then is to be done for her?” Gehazi answered, “Well, she has no son, and her husband is old.”

Verse 15: He said, “Call her.” And when he had called her, she stood in the doorway.

Verse 16: And he said, “At this season, about this time next year, you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord, O man of God; do not lie to your servant.” [05:17]

Verse 17: But the woman conceived, and she bore a son about that time the following spring, as Elisha had said to her. [05:10]

Verse 18: When the child had grown, he went out one day to his father among the reapers. And he said to his father, “Oh, my head, my head!” [06:04]

Verse 19: The father said to his servant, “Carry him to his mother.”

Verse 20: And when he had lifted him and brought him to his mother, the child sat on her lap till noon, and then he died. [06:24]

Verse 21: And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God and shut the door behind him and went out. [06:35]

Verse 22: Then she called to her husband and said, “Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys, that I may quickly go to the man of God and come back again.”

Verse 23: And he said, “Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath.” She said, “All is well.” [07:01]

Verse 24: Then she saddled the donkey and she said to her servant, “Urge the animal on; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you.” So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. [07:08]

Verse 25: When the man of God saw her coming, he said to Gehazi his servant, “Look, there is the Shunammite. Run at once to meet her and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’” And she answered, “It is well.” [07:20]

Verse 26: And when she came to the mountain to the man of God, she caught hold of his feet. And Gehazi came to push her away. But the man of God said, “Let her alone, for she is in bitter distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me.” [23:16]

Verse 27: Then she said, “Did I ask my lord for a son? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me?’”

Verse 28: He said to Gehazi, “Tie up your garment and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And lay my staff on the face of the child.”

Verse 29: Then the mother of the child said, “As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So he arose and followed her.

Verse 30: Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the face of the child, but there was no sound or sign of life. Therefore he returned to meet him and told him, “The child has not awakened.”

Verse 31: When Elisha came into the house, he saw the child lying dead on his bed.

Verse 32: So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the LORD. [28:18]

Verse 33: Then he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. [28:28]

Verse 34: Then he got up again and walked once back and forth in the house, and went up and stretched himself upon him.

Verse 35: The child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. [28:50]

Verse 36: Then he called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. And when she came to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” [29:01]

Verse 37: She came and fell at his feet, bowing to the ground. Then she picked up her son and went out. [29:12]

Observation questions

What details in verses 8–10 show that the Shunammite woman’s hospitality was intentional, generous, and ongoing rather than a one-time act? [03:40]
How does the woman respond when Elisha offers to help her, and how does she respond when he promises that she will have a son?
After her son dies, what specific actions does the woman take before she speaks with Elisha? What do those actions show about where she believes help can be found? [06:35]
The woman says, “All is well” twice, but then falls at Elisha’s feet in “bitter distress.” What details in the passage make it clear that she is not pretending nothing is wrong? [23:35]

Interpretation questions

The Shunammite woman was faithful, generous, and committed to God’s work, yet she experienced devastating loss. How does her story correct the belief that faithful obedience guarantees an easy life? [15:52]
What might “It is well” mean in this passage if it does not mean that the woman’s circumstances are good or painless? [23:39]
Why is it significant that the woman brings her grief to Elisha rather than isolating herself, hiding her pain, or simply trying to manage it alone? How does this point believers toward bringing broken hearts to Jesus? [24:06]
God restores the child but never explains why he died. What does this reveal about the difference between receiving God’s help and receiving all the answers a person wants? [31:09]

Application questions

Is there a painful chapter in life that has made it difficult to trust God’s goodness? What would it look like to bring that specific pain honestly to Jesus instead of trying to carry it alone? [24:29]
Faith in Jesus does not make anyone immune to tragedy, but Jesus is the Good Shepherd who stays with His people. In a current hardship, where has there been a temptation to measure God’s faithfulness by changing circumstances? [13:31]
“All is well” does not require pretending that everything is fine. Is there a place where grief, disappointment, fear, or anger has been hidden behind a polished answer? What would honest prayer about that place sound like? [26:24]
Some wounds remain tender for years or even decades. Is there a memory that still feels like an open wound rather than a scar? What support—prayer, trusted believers, wise counseling, or a renewed habit of prayer—could help bring that wound into God’s healing presence? [26:01]
Peace is found in Jesus, not in financial security, family stability, or having every explanation. Which of those places is most tempting to rely on for peace, and how can the group encourage a deeper dependence on Christ this week? [20:00]
The Shunammite woman received her son back in this life, while others may not receive the miracle they long for now. How does Jesus’ resurrection give real hope in a loss that remains unresolved or irreversible? [36:39]

Sermon Clips

43s

#FaithAndGrief

“What faith does, faith does not silence our grief. It gives our grief somewhere to go. When we're struggling, when we're having that heartbreak, when we're walking through something, a chapter in our story that we didn't know that was gonna come when we get to that place, and God wants us to bring our broken hearts to the feet of Jesus. That we would come and that we would say, God, I I don't know what to do with this. I don't know what to do with this pain.”

37s

#VictoryOverDeath

“See, the Shunamite woman, she received her son back, but Horatio and Anna did not. But the gospel declares that death will not have the final word in either story. That the truth about Jesus entering death, defeating death, and being raised from death to life, the truth is because he lives, all who belong to him will live forever and ever and ever.”

51s

#JesusOurAnchor

“Spatford was not declaring that everything was good in his life. He was not declaring that everything around him was well. Everything around him was right. He was declaring that his soul remained secure and the only anchor that he is sure of in his life. And that anchor is Jesus Christ. Guys, he is the anchor for our souls and turmoil and in the seas and in the storm and in the problem and in the issue and in the thing that we cannot understand. Jesus is the answer. Jesus is the anchor. Jesus is our hope. And it goes beyond this life.”

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It Is Well (Hymns Collection) | Pastor Bryan Lamoureux | Reverb Church | Reverb Church