Is it well? (Quality: Good)

[0:00] Let's pray, please. This is the portion that we read, 2nd Book of Kings, chapter 4, and reading, verse 26.

[0:14] Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband?

[0:25] Is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well. What a remarkable account we have here of how Elijah was to pass by this way and this great woman.

[0:47] A woman, obviously, it would appear, of greater means. And she constrained him to eat bread.

[0:59] And oh, in due season, she felt to bring the matter up with her husband. You know, what a mercy when there are these twos in families that walk together as being agreed.

[1:13] They have that right desire to be kind and tenderhearted. They also are, as according to the exhortation of God's word, to do good unto all men, but especially unto the household of faith.

[1:34] And when the Lord makes a poor sinner tender in his fear, oh, how conscious he or she will be of one another's concerns and one another's welfare as we are exhorted to bear one another's burden and so fulfill the law of Christ.

[1:58] And so it came to this point where this child that was given, you see the Lord rewarded this woman for her kindness and that she was barren and the promise was that she should have this child and she quite thought that the Lord's servant was being frivolous in making a false promise.

[2:27] But oh, how it came to pass, the fulfilling of that prophet's prophecy. And so, you know, when the Lord gives us that sure word of prophecy concerning her own pathway, you know it does come to pass.

[2:44] We've had to prove it in our little lives what the Lord has spoken to us of. He has brought it to pass, sometimes with joy, sometimes with sorrow.

[2:57] But oh, if these things are the means of the Lord to teach you and me to be concerned about the welfare of our soul, then there'll be profit in this teaching.

[3:09] And so, this woman who had, you know, she had this promise tried. The child was taken sick and apparently died.

[3:24] And she made haste for how she saddled the ass. and she went to see the man of God and her husband said, wherefore will I go to him today?

[3:38] It is neither new moon nor Sabbath. And she said, it shall be well. There was faith in her heart to believe of what the Lord's servant could do as he had performed already that great thing.

[3:54] And with you and me, dear friends, in your lives, is anything too hard for the Lord? You may have some hard things to contend with in your lives, in your minds, and in your soul.

[4:07] Is anything too hard for the Lord? Ah, he is able to keep, who's the barren woman to keep house and be a joyful mother of children.

[4:19] And what, dear friends, that covers, that work, the barren woman to keep house. Oh, Lord, Lord, you say, do come and appear for me.

[4:30] Do come and bless me with that living faith of belief. And so, she said, drive and go forward, slack not by riding, except I bid thee.

[4:43] There was that making haste in her, in her experience. She must hasten to the place where she might find relief from her great and heavy trials.

[4:56] And so, she comes with that exercise, with that importunity of a poor seeking soul that is in great need, in great sorrow, and with a great burden.

[5:10] And the Lord says to us, through his word, cast thy burden upon the Lord, he shall sustain thee. She was given grace and diligence to hasten to see the Lord's servant who was that performer of miracles because the prophet Elijah and Elisha were favored with those, with that grace given and the Spirit of the Lord upon them to perform these miracles.

[5:42] Oh, they were God's servants. So, what a mercy. So, she, she went and came unto the man of God to Mount Carmel and it came to pass when the man of God saw afar after he sent his servant Gehazi, behold, yonder is that Shunammai.

[6:03] Run now, I pray thee, to meet her and say unto her, is it well with her? What a question, Fred. Maybe it's a question that will exercise even if there's one here or listening today in on the renal.

[6:21] This solemn matter, is it well? Is the God of peace your God? Is he Jesus, your Saviour, the God man?

[6:34] He said, my peace I leave with you, not as the world giveth give I unto you, let not your heart be troubled. But Lord, you say, I've got a troubled heart, my providential circumstances, but such a trial to me caused me many fears.

[6:54] Or have you and I then cast these concerns? Are you hastening to the Lord at the throne of grace? Are you seeking first his kingdom and an interest in the merits of Jesus?

[7:10] To know that Jesus Christ is your father's son? And that he is bidding you and me undismayed go on. Run now, I pray thee to meet her, is the instruction of Elisha to his servant.

[7:28] And say unto her, you know, if we stand up in the name of the Lord, it's what the Lord gives us to speak in the hour.

[7:40] It's no good storing up religion in the head, is it? It's no good coming and giving you a religious lecture, is it? Our mind is not, hasn't been that gifted to be able to do that, but it's speak, preach the preaching of I bid thee.

[7:59] Now does the word that we speak week after week as led by the Spirit fall upon death ears? Is it a matter, dear friends, that your heart is so hard that you cannot receive these things, that you forget them, they go in one ear and out of the other?

[8:17] When you're carried away with your idols, with your providential things, and I speak to myself these things, dear friends, that all whether you hear or whether you forbear, is the work of the Spirit, isn't it?

[8:31] It's a solemn matter really with us each, that we know something of this, and knowing whether it's well with it, how will it be with you and me in the swellings of your love?

[8:46] The Lord might have favoured you in providence, but you know the Lord knows how to send the messenger from Satan to buffet you. You know the Lord does have messengers that he permits.

[9:01] I should say Satan has the messengers, but the Lord permits Satan to send those messengers to buffet you. Look what he did with Job.

[9:15] He permitted Satan to plague Job with those boils, but he couldn't touch his soul, couldn't touch his soul. Now these are solemn matters, aren't they?

[9:27] Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child? And she answered, is it well? she had had that faith, dear friends, to believe it shall be well.

[9:44] And so the answer was, wasn't it, it is well. This vital then, needful knowledge of your sinnership in the sight of God, conviction.

[10:00] That's what it is, isn't it? Conviction of your sins, feeding the burden of it. Oh, how soon we get carried away with the perishing things of this world we are, of course, of the earth, earthy.

[10:16] But you see, as we, speaking to our friend before the service, one of Mr. Philpott's words in the week was this, you know, we preach the word, but it will fall upon deaf ears if we are still dead.

[10:33] but where the Spirit of the Lord is, there will be liberty. And that liberty, that word, you know, will awaken you and me from the dead and exercise us more and more as we see the day approaching for the need of grace, for the need of repentance and of faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ.

[11:01] Now is it well? You know, it shall be well with the righteous, but be well unto the wicked, it shall be ill with him.

[11:12] If by the grace of God he has chosen you, as I believe he did this sure to mine, though you see she came and she came where she sought deliverance.

[11:28] and when thou canst know, deliverance see, and often you cannot see it or feel it, yet still this God, thy peace shall burn.

[11:41] Is it well? Oh, is it well? We ask Ephel the question, and will you and me, it will be often, tis a point, I long to know, if the Lord has awakened you from the dead.

[11:54] you see, as we have therefore opportunity, we shall have a desire to search the scriptures, or to hear the gospel, or to read the sermon, and pray the Lord that it might not be dead print to us, but there might be some exercise with us to hasten to the throne of divine grace, to make all our wants and our wishes known unto the Lord God of heaven, who alone can answer your petitions and give you an interest in this glorious plan of salvation, and to have that knowledge that your name and mine is recorded in the book of life.

[12:37] Temple things can never save us, although God may have provided them for you. One thing is needful, and this woman needed the Lord's servant to come, and to manifest still what was impossible with her was possible for this performing God, who later on we read, raised the child to life, breathed as it were upon the dry bone, and as you and I are dead naturally in the flesh to these things, when the Spirit the Lord anoints you and me, so you will desire the answer to this question and say, it is well, it is well.

[13:30] Now we may have to wait till the dying hour, because I believe though the Lord gives promises, he will fulfill them, but often they get beclouded when we get led captive by so many things.

[13:44] I believe we could sing that second hymn from the heart of the heart, did you? Oh, you know, your emptiness, it's with shame you confess it, don't you?

[13:59] But is it such a burden to you and me that we have to lay the matter continually before the grace, confessing our sins, morning, noon, evening, at night, you pray to the Lord, have mercy upon my soul, come and breathe upon my dry bones, give me some grace, Lord, in my heart, and grace to discern it, that I am seeking thee with the whole heart, that I might yet find rest for my soul, and have some blessed promise applied to myself.

[14:30] Now we can soon get led captive, can't we, with the things of the world, or the weaknesses of the natural mind that go after natural things.

[14:43] perishing things. And so we need the Lord, don't we, to stir us up by his spirit, to drive in, as it were, that arrow of conviction, that as convinced as a sinner, we flee from refuge, until the Lord Jesus Christ.

[15:03] And she answered. That's the question. It's being unable to answer the question, is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband?

[15:15] Firstly and primarily, your soul and mine will stand alone before the judgment seat of Christ one day. And if the Lord has so favored you here below, with a touch, with a token, and evidence, so you'll be concerned about those near and dear to you.

[15:35] Husbands, if you have them, wives, if you have them, or with those near and dear to you, or with your children, who have you to weigh heavily with you and me, that they might not be left to perish in their sins, and that they might know the truth and the gospel might be that desire of their souls to hear and believe in.

[16:00] For whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. is it well with them? Lord, do grab me then that real religion, or may I be given some living evidence that I am a seeking soul.

[16:22] You perhaps can't get beyond that at present. Are you seeking, are you seeking and hoping to find a portion for yourself?

[16:32] in that case concerning, surrounding the last hymn, the Lord speaks to Solomon and says, ask what I should give them.

[16:45] And so here is the prophet here, we might view as an antitype of Christ, speaking through his servant, that run now, I pray, and say unto her, is it well with earth.

[17:04] You see, the Lord alone can exercise you and me with these questions within. He changes the heart, he takes away the heart of stone, that these things are no longer letter things, but they are an exercise of the Spirit upon your soul.

[17:23] The Spirit raises you from the dead. Look how Jesus raised that damsel I say unto thee, arise. damsel I say unto thee, arise.

[17:37] And so that little maid arise. What a mercy you see the Lord causes this. And so he said to Lazarus, Lazarus, come forth from the tomb.

[17:53] Now we all are like that mad gathering, we dwell among the tombs, don't we? Dead in our trespasses and sins. When the Lord sends the question into your soul, or when I remember, I believe, you know, that many years back, how stands the cane?

[18:17] My soul would be, what an arrow it was from the Lord's service. How stands the cane? so concerned, so carried away with temporal things and a form of religion, but dead, but dead as the pew I sat on with regard to spiritual things.

[18:39] Now what of you, what of me, you may think these things are harsh, dear friends, but oh, it's the welfare of your souls that I'm concerned about, as well as my own. And if the Lord has sent me amongst you, surely there must be a work to be done, may the Lord in his sovereign mercy hasten the world, bless the world, that the question might be put out a question with your need, as the Lord delivers your soul, breathes upon you, exercises you with that desire to humbly walk in his fear, and the desire prayerfully that he might teach you to number your days that you might apply your heart unto wisdom.

[19:25] And we read, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Oh, alas, alas, it's continuing, isn't it, in the work we find in the ministry. But oh, we must acknowledge that hitherto has the Lord helped us all to be able to praise him more, that he has given us a little measure of faith.

[19:49] often it lives and labors under a load, but damned it will never die. And she answered, it is well, it is well.

[20:01] And so you see, she was unable to speak to Elisha's servant this, it is well. And she came to the man. Oh, she wanted the spirit of the Lord, she wanted Christ and Christ alone.

[20:16] if, as I said, we may venture to call Elisha the anti-type of Christ. And with you and me, you have to pray, don't you, Lord, do give me a real token, give me some precious promise, give me some crumb, as it were, from night table, some sip, some crumb, some evidence that I am born of God.

[20:44] for I seem to journey on and I drift along and we have to confess our emptiness and poverty. When the Lord do does a peace, oh, I believe you will know it, those sweet moments when the Lord in his sovereign mercy girds up the loins of your mind and your mind is thinking and pondering upon the merits of Jesus alone.

[21:15] These are rare moments, but they are real and sometimes you can reflect upon those moments when the Lord spoke to you, when the Lord quickened you, when he awakened you from sleep and he caused you to hasten to the mercy seat and plead the merits of Jesus.

[21:36] And that love of Christ that flowed into your very soul, melted you down, with true repentance and godly sorrow for sin. And you prayed then as you perhaps never prayed before, Lord keep my feet, don't leave me to bring shame or reproach upon that dear head of the heart, but give me more grace of humility and more tokens of thy love, that I might humble myself before thee and humbly follow thee with us over thou going.

[22:09] is it well with thee, is it well with thy husband, is it well with the child? And she answered it is well. You know, this is a wonderful aspect of faith, isn't it, in this woman?

[22:27] When she knew that he had died on her knees, this giant, death. And yet here she is with that saying within it, it shall be well.

[22:42] She felt that her journey to run to the man of God would not be in vain. And that man of God, the man Christ Jesus, it shall not be in vain.

[22:56] He said, they shall not think me in vain. Oh, you blessed seekers, what a mercy. If the Lord is still drawing you to this mercy seat, you have many hindrances, I'm sure you must do.

[23:11] We all do, don't we? Hindrances, things that seem to arise, mountains before us, valleys that we cannot cross, rivers to cross, burdens to, to, laid heavily upon our shoulders and it's too great for us.

[23:33] But the Lord has promised you now and what a mercy it is that you can do all things through Christ that strengthen it here.

[23:45] His grace is sufficient for you. His strength may perfect in your weakness, he may have bodily strength, but weakness, weakness in your standing for right things.

[24:00] Or how you feel so helpless, and who a case seems hopeless at times. But I can do all things, says Paul, through Christ that strengthen me.

[24:13] You see the dependence, the dependence, dear friends, not upon your own will, your own ability, your own moral character and strength of your mind.

[24:26] But the strength of the Lord, the strength of the Lord, and you can do all things as he strengthens you with a word from heaven, strengthens your weak hands of faith, you feel that good hope through grace that it shall be well with you, shall be well.

[24:46] The answers of your four petitions will yet be answered and you'll go on your way rejoicing. Oh, it's pressing, isn't it? Pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

[25:06] Is it well with them? So, you see the Lord, as we view the antitype Elisha, he gave his servant words to speak.

[25:25] And it shall be given you to speak in that hour, friends, when the Lord says to you, ask what I shall give you. No, Solomon didn't ask for riches to do.

[25:39] He asked for wisdom, heavenly wisdom. The Lord says, if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth liberally and abradeth not, but let him ask in faith.

[25:54] Nothing wavering. This woman was blessed with faith, wasn't she? Faith was the substance in her of things hoped for, and evidence of those things that are not seen.

[26:07] All this living faith, dear friends, Abraham went out by faith and obedience to God. it was accounted under him for righteousness. Without faith it is impossible to please God.

[26:21] He that cometh to God must believe that he is. There's a reward of those that shall diligently seek him. Isn't it the desire of your souls then to be given this diligence, to diligently seek him?

[26:35] Lord, how shall I escape thy wrath in eternity? How shall I escape punishment in hell?

[26:48] If I'm left to neglect this great salvation, you see in a sense here we have the woman's need, salvation, deliverance, deliverance from death, deliver my soul from the pit.

[27:03] And she had faith to say to Elijah's servant, it is well. Oh, I have no doubt she said it with humility because she had faith to believe that her journey would not be in vain.

[27:23] And so as you look at your own case, and you have a case, won't you, of your conviction of sin, and your prayer to him without ceasing, that he will yet deliver your soul, that he will yet speak to you some word of assurance, and that you will go in the strength of the Lord, in the strength of the Lord alone, and make mention of his righteousness, his own name.

[27:51] And she answered it as well. Oh, what a mercy, what a gift, dear friend, the gift of grace in her heart, that she felt it should be well.

[28:02] love. And so she would not leave the man of God until he went with her, and the outcome was that he breathed upon that child, and the child had that life given in this wonderful, miraculous performance by the almighty hand of God.

[28:27] God. And as I said, and do say, that you see, it's the same with the soul, newborn by the Spirit. We're not left to have a name that is dead, but the life of the Spirit searches you, cries you, exercises you, when the word is not his word, a hammer, breaking your stony heart to pieces.

[28:52] sin, and then he breaks your hard heart, and then exercises you by taking away that stony heart and giving you a heart of flesh, makes you tender in the fear of God.

[29:07] And you plead with him, Lord, do grant me then that warming of this cold heart, because if the Lord has begun that good work in you, you can soon backslide and be led captive by your idols or that religious pride.

[29:22] And you have to pray, Lord, keep me humbly, supplicating the throne of divine grace, and leave me not to perish or to be mistaken in the way, but grant me, O Lord, the application of those promises, and the entrance of thy word that giveth life, and giveth understanding to my poor, simple, ignorant, foolish heart.

[29:48] And we do feel so ignorant of these things, don't we? But, is it well with thee? All these personal things, then, that will be a mighty burden to us at times, and when you feel the wretchedness of your heart and the darkness of your poor mind, Lord, when wilt thou come?

[30:16] When wilt thou grant me a little peace in myself, a little assurance of my interest in the merit of this sin-atoning blood, to know my Jesus crucified, by far excels all things bizarre.

[30:34] You see, knowledge of all celestial things there to my soul, true pleasure brings, no peace but in the Son of God, no joy but in his pardoning blood.

[30:46] All the love of Christ supports sinners then, that will be looking to say that it is well with them, and it will be well with them, won't it?

[31:00] While life endure, and well when called to dark. And so the question is with you and me, is it well with them?

[31:10] Is it well with them? And so we examine it now. In the light of scripture, Lord, let me examine myself in the light of scripture to see whether I be in the faith of God's elect.

[31:29] Jesus then will be the author of that faith. And all that exercise of faith will help you to continue. It will be a substance. The promise given you, a word given you in season, it will be a little substance to you.

[31:47] It will be a substance to you things hope for. And evidence of those things that are not seen, the things that are seen are temporal, the things that are not seen are eternal.

[32:02] Oh, Lord, you say, awaken me to these things, and do grant that I might have that word from heaven, to encourage me to press toward the mark for the prize.

[32:16] what a prize it is, the gift of eternal life, is through the mercies of a covenant keeping God. And as you journey on, the Lord has said, though this messenger from Satan is permitted to buffet you, it's to keep you and me getting exhorted above measure.

[32:39] You know, if true religions did exercise in your soul, you won't get lifted up, will you? If you are permitted for one moment to get lifted up, sure, you know, you'll come crashing down with some heavy trial that sinks you lower than you were before.

[32:58] But all these things are to make us sicker self, and more attracted, and more fond of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom, having not seen, ye laugh, love.

[33:14] And I have to say, don't you feel in me, whom, having not seen I love, Lord, it is a point I want thee to confirm with me, that I do love thee, because if there's any love in my heart toward thee, thou must first give it.

[33:34] Thou must show me that it shall be well with me, while life endure. love, and if there is any love and affection in my heart, oh, it is to set her affection, her mind, upon things above, where Christ well is.

[33:53] Now, this woman in her trouble, as I have said before, the antitope of Christ was Elijah, her mind was set upon what this man was, the prophet, as the man of God, was able to do.

[34:06] Now, no men of God today have such powers, do they? No ministers have such powers today as the powerful gift given to the prophets of old.

[34:22] But we see in them the antitype of Christ. And so God, who at sundry times and in divers places, spake unto us by his prophets, as in these vast days spoken unto us through his dear son, through his dear son, it's Christ must be exalted, for him hath God exhorted to be a prince and a savior, to give repentance to Israel, remission for sin.

[34:52] Lord, do give me an interest in these things, that through these blessed Old Testament dispensations, I might see the life of the spirit in it.

[35:04] in leading me, Lord, to raise up me unto eternal life, to know something in my own soul of the reality of this religion, which may be and will be but a little in your soul that you know.

[35:23] But he says ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free, free from the condemnation of the broken law that you and I are born under, as in Adam all died, as in Christ, though all shall be made alive that are in the covenant, all that the Father giveth me.

[35:48] These are the old ones that are saved, don't they? All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast that. death. We see the similarity in this, don't we, of this woman.

[36:06] All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. She was coming, dear friends, to the Lord Jesus Christ for deliverance, for her husband, for herself, for her son.

[36:25] Blessed mercy, isn't she? But when there is that union and communion with the Lord Jesus Christ, coming to us king, though I'm coming to a king, large petitions would they bring.

[36:44] You know, none can ask too much, none can ask too much. Do you ask? Are you requesting the Lord come, to give you a token?

[36:57] Ask and it shall be given you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you, the door of his mercy that stands open all day to the poor and needed and not by the world.

[37:12] This woman had everything to give. Look what she provided for the Lord's prophet, the man of God. God. She had her servants, didn't she?

[37:26] She had the young man to saddle the ass and drive. She had all the provisions she needed in providence.

[37:38] But one thing was April, restoring mercy, the peace of God to come upon them as a little family, as they feared God.

[37:51] And so it will be with you and me, you know. The messenger from Satan buffets us often, doesn't he? But oh, what a mercy that grace is given.

[38:04] My grace is sufficient for thee. My strength is made perfect in weakness. And so the apostle was able to say, and may we be able to most gladly where therefore will I glory in my infirmity that the power of Christ may rest upon them.

[38:25] Now those infirmities sometimes are very manifest in the body, but also, dear friends, they will be manifest to others in the soul, in their mind, all their infirmities, their inability to pray, their inability to call upon the name of the Lord as they would, but are in understand the sight of ours.

[38:49] You see, the weakest to him are as dear as the strong friends. There may be infirmities in your mind, your shortcomings, your failings, but the Lord will give you grace to gloin your infirmities, the power of Christ.

[39:07] You see, you're dependent upon the power of Christ that it may rest upon you, and he gives power to the faith. Oh, I love some of these words in scripture, don't you?

[39:18] As a poor seeking soul, he gives power to the faith. Them that have no might, he increases strength. Something secret works within you, doesn't it?

[39:30] And so with this woman, she came. One thing was needful, that it might be well with her, that the man of God might come where she was, and deliver her from her trauma.

[39:44] Jesus is this God man, and he came into the world to seek out and to save lost in. When you feel to lose your way, oh, and often we may get tempted and tried with the material things that surround us and get led captive with them, but oh, when the Lord brings you to your senses, sometimes I believe he does, brings us to our senses where we are brought to consider him, and pray that he might have mercy upon us, and grant us those healing touches.

[40:32] Heal us, Emmanuel, here we are, says the hymn writer, waiting to feel thy touch. Deep wounded souls to thee repair, for saviour we are so.

[40:46] Here was a deep wounded woman in trouble. She came, dear friends, to seek that source and that giver of all good, Jesus, oh, the man of God, to come and breathe upon the dry bones that that child might live.

[41:07] and so she went in and fell at his feet and bowed herself to the ground, took up her son and went, deliverance, deliverance raised.

[41:19] What a mercy this is, to have your burdens, your burdens laid at the foot of the cross, laid upon the Lord. For he has said, is anything too hard for them?

[41:34] Is anything too hard for them? For I am the God of all flesh and the God of all grace. Or may the Lord in his sovereign mercy then give us encouragement still to wait upon him for that renewed strength, and still come boldly to the throne of grace that we might obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.

[42:02] But I see now the time has gone. May the Lord bless her purifying forgive all of men. Amen. Amen. Amen. good good love love God