2 Kings 4:29

2 Kings 4:29 says, Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.  Elisha told Gehazi to take Elisha's staff and run to the child and lay it on the boy.  He was to let nothing distract him along the way.  We as Christians today need a sense of urgency when witnessing to those who are spiritually lost.  We don't need to let things of the world distract us from witnessing to others.  Verse thirty adds, And the mother of the child said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her.  The woman told Elisha that she would not leave his side as surely as he lived, and the LORD lived.  As long as we live, as followers of Christ, we must ever leave His side.  Elisha arose and followed her.  Verse thirty-one continues, And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.  Gehazi passed them, got to the child, laid Elisha's staff on him, and nothing happened.  He then returned and told them this news.  Sometimes, we may not immediately see positive result of our witnessing to others, but we must never lose faith that it will bear fruit.  Verse thirty-two states, And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.  When Elisha got there, sill nothing had changed.  The child was still dead.  He could have given up in defeat.  When things appear hopeless in a situation today, we may give up in defeat before the victory has come, but we should never lose faith.  Verse thirty-three adds, He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord.  Elisha shut the others out and prayed to the LORD.  This is our best course of action in any situation, especially those that seem hopeless.  We need to get alone and pray to God.  Verse thirty-four continues, And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.  Elisha covered the body of the child with his own body, and the flesh of the child grew warm.  We cannot bring physical life back to dead people necessarily, but we can offer them spiritual life if they are covered with the blood of Christ.  He can bring them to life spiritually now and forever.  Verse thirty-five declares, Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.  Elisha walked back and forth in the house, then stretched himself out on the child again, the child sneezed seven times, and opened his eyes.  None of these actions had any magical powers, but God restored the life of the child.  We can never put too much faith in the actions or power of people to heal, but we must always look to God for healing.  Verse thirty-six adds, And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son.  After the child was restored to life, Elisha had Gehazi go and tell the woman.  He was not looking for praise for himself, and we must never do so today.  We must always make sure that God gets the credit for anything that we do as Christians.  Verse thirty-seven continues, Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.  The woman still attempted to worship Elisha, falling at his feet before taking her son and leaving.  We need to make sure that we never allow people to worship us when God does something miraculous through us.