A prominent woman’s son died unexpectedly. This was the woman in Shunem who had been so kind to Elisha, the itinerant preacher and prophet (2 Kings 4:8-37). She remembered Elisha as the man of God who could do something about her dead son. So she hurried to the place where she would find Elisha. She met Gehazi, Elisha’s aide, but did not disclose to him her mission. The woman finally came to Elisha and grieved bitterly over her dead son.  

 Understanding the situation, Elisha urged Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face,” v. 29. The woman remained talking to Elisha as Gehazi ran to raise the dead the boy. She clearly declared to Elisha that she would never leave him. That prompted Elisha to rise up and head towards the woman’s place. Gehazi arrived at the woman’s home and laid the stick of Elisha on the face of the boy exactly as Elisha had told him, but there was no life in the boy.

You are probably right to wonder why the boy did not awake for Gehazi who had been commissioned by Elisha. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the stick of Elisha the man of God. Evidently, God likes using sticks. Israel was delivered from Egypt by a stick. So the stick was not the problem. It matters in whose hands the stick is. If one’s life is not right with God, one may follow instructions or go on God’s errands, but still lacks God’s life giving power. In the work of reviving the spiritually sick or dead, God is interested more in working through the person who carries ‘the stick’. To God be the glory for the great things He accomplishes through those who are wholly connected with Him for His mission.