After reading 2 Kings 4, I can’t help but visualize Elisha like a Gandolf sort of character from Lord of the Rings. Older, wise, probably long hair, long beard, robe, carries a staff–and performs incredible miraculous acts.
And he does these things so matter of factly, so nonchalantly. Wow. God worked through Elisha in powerful ways that boggle our mind. His faith must have been second to none. It has me wishing for a faith like that. A faith that produces miracles.
While Elisha is worthy of our focus–there’s lots to learn from him–there’s also plenty to learn about the other characters or scenes of 2 Kings 4.
The widow, who is about to lose her sons to debtors. She has no way to pay them.
Then there’s the hospitable Shunammite woman without a child. Next we meet the sons of prophets about to eat a poisonous meal.
In each situation, God works through Elisha to perform a miracle and bring glory to himself.
Here’s what we learn from each scenario:
- Go to God with our needs
- We’ve already got what we need to follow God
- God will give us more than we expected
The widow went to Elisha with her problem knowing he was a man of God. She offers up what she does have, a little oil, and then God shows up and shows out. Not only did she have enough to pay the debt, save her sons from slavery, but she and her sons lived off ther rest.
The Shunammite woman without a child, asks for one, then has a baby boy. When the child dies unexpectedly, she offers what she does have–her faith. God again shows up and shows out by using Elisha to bring this boy back to life.
The sons of the prophets are served poisonous stew by accident. They tell Elisha about the problem, and he uses flour, a common household pantry staple, to purify the stew. God saved them from their own stupidity, and gave them a second chance at life.
All of them, the widow, the Shunammite woman, the sons of the Prophets, all believed–they had faith. And their faith led them to act on their belief. They trusted God with what they did have, offered it to him, and he gave back more than they expected.
Luke 6:38 says, “give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
Remember:
- Go to God with our needs
- We’ve already got what we need to follow God
- God will give us more than we expected
VC Devotionals 