1 & 2 Kings – Page 10

2 Kings 5:1-19 – When My Faith is Weak

two cuddly teddy bears facing away from the camera, one with it's arm around the other

There will be times in life when our faith will waver. Circumstances will confuse us and cause us to question everything we know or believe. It’s in those times we need to be surrounded by others with strong faith who can see clearly what is happening, despite our own spiritual blindness.

The story of Naaman has so many rich truths for us to cling to. What spoke loudest to me today was that Naaman’s men had the faith, or at least the wisdom, to calm Naaman’s anger to do as he had been told by the prophet, Elisha. Because of the encouragement of his men, Naaman was healed and his mission into Samaria was a success.

2 Kings 4:38-44 – From Hunger to Plenty

Read 2 Kings 4:38-44

Here Elisha performs two more miracles on God’s behalf, this time to make things right for his prophets. Our setting is during a time of famine. I can’t say that I’ve lived through a famine because of the present-day grocery store. But I can imagine before we had such convenience, weather patterns and food shortages in a particular area would be devastating.

I’m not sure the gourds were “poisonous” or deadly, as some of the stew was consumed. It’s more likely that the wild gourds would lead to stomach upset and be bitter or foul tasting. The miracle may have simply been the wisdom God gave Elisha to know how to fix it with a little flour. Rather than have a pot of ruined stew, Elisha made it edible so they would not go hungry. (Remember the salt from Chapter 2?)

2 Kings 4:8-37 😍 Revived!

Read 2 Kings 4:8-37

man standing facing a sunset with his arms outstretched

Were you a little startled by this second miracle story in Chapter 4? I thought immediately of Jesus reviving people from the dead, but here we see Elisha tapping into that same power of God. What a beautiful story of helping bring faith into the lives of people!

The life of a prophet was difficult. This wealthy, unnamed woman from Shunem had the means to make his life a little more comfortable and to show kindness. She recognized Elisha as special and called him “man of God.” She clearly showed respect; I don’t think that she had any selfish motives, do you?

2 Kings 4:1-7 🙏 How Big is Your Faith?

Read 2 Kings 4:1-7

Empty road with words "Faith tells me that no matter what lies ahead of me, God is already there."

The desperation of a widow, I can only imagine how it feels. Not only is she missing her husband, but she also no longer has his income to pay the bills. We have probably all known someone close to us who has become a widow. While women today tend to be self-sufficient and able to earn an income, we need to remember it wasn’t always that way.

In her grief, she turned to Elisha. It appears her husband had served with Elisha so his death would not have necessarily gone unnoticed. Elisha was quick to give her a solution from God. Elisha must have felt honored to have been used by God to help this widow and her sons.

2 Kings 3:1-27 🗣 What Did God Have to Say?

Read 2 Kings 3:1-27

three figures of people all with their arms raised high in victory

Do you ever rush ahead of God’s plan and then, when you get stuck, ask for his help? We’re seeing that exact same thing happening here. As I’m reflecting on this passage about war against Moab, I’m watching the events unfold between present day Russia and Ukraine. It’s easy to get desensitized to war because it’s been happening over and over again since the Bible times. If you’re in the middle of it or have loved ones in harms way, then it’s a different story—you’re on the edge of your seat.

In our reading, we see how three kings have come together against one rebelling nation, Moab. But these leaders have rushed to get ready before asking God what they should do. Thank you, Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, for getting the others on board with finding the LORD’s solution.