So the LORD’s anger burned against Israel, and for a long time he kept them under the power of Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadad his son. 2 Kings 13:3

I notice a couple of things about this verse. 1) The Lord got angry – again – with Israel, and 2) to punish them, He kept them under Hazael’s rule. After generations of repenting and going back into sin, Israel had not learned her lesson. It’s almost as if God is telling them, “you may not understand this, but I’m doing it for your own good!”

Israel wasn’t calling the shots.
Hazael king of Aram wasn’t calling the shots.

The LORD God alone was calling the shots. Period.

Thousands of years have passed and we see the same God calling the shots for leaders and nations that rise and fall. The people cry out, “this is what we want.” He gives it to them and they fall into gross sin, and walk away completely disillusioned and dissatisfied.

So, even though we seem to be in the midst of economic and political upheaval, we can resta assured that the LORD God Almighty is calling the shots.

But by the twenty-third year of King Joash the priests still had not repaired the temple.
When the amount had been determined, they gave the money to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. With it they paid those who worked on the temple of the LORD -the carpenters and builders, the masons and stonecutters. They purchased timber and dressed stone for the repair of the temple of the LORD, and met all the other expenses of restoring the temple. 2 Kings 12:6,11-12

One could look at this passage and see gross negligence on the part of the priests. I’m not sure what they were doing with all the money that was brought into the temple but it hadn’t gone to repair it as King Joash had wanted. Then the priests found people who did this very thing: carpenters, masons, stonecutters, builders. Those who do things all their lives get pretty good at it. That was the same way for the priests. They did priestly and religious things. They may have known how to build a temple, but probably not.

The subject of this devotional is focus. A phrase first introduced by a 19th Century preacher and popularized by Stephen Covey is this: the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. Focus. The priests were not builders. The builders were not priests. Their “main things” were completely different for each, but unique to their own situations.

Is there something you need to focus in on because you’re good at it and because it’s the right thing to do for you? Are you “hitting and missing” you shouldn’t be dabbling in? Only you can answer those questions.

The king then took his place on the royal throne, and all the people of the land rejoiced. 2 Kings 11:19-20

The new king was on the throne and the people rejoiced. Finally. After they had made a covenant with God, and then another covenant with the king, they could celebrate that the king was finally on the throne. It was a cause for a party. I suspect parties were thrown and there was dancing in the streets.

What’s cause for a real celebration in your life? Birth of a child or grandchild? The sun rising and setting every day? Good men overcoming their adversities? Good triumphing over evil. Or how about something as simple as small “baby step” victories in your own life. We can and should celebrate the good we see all around us.

But there will be a day when there will be dancing in the streets like we’ve never seen before. Scriptures tell us that the streets will be paved with the purest gold and no tear will dim the eye. The king will be on the throne, and day and night we will have a chance to see what true celebration is all about. The day will come sooner than we imagine, but it will come.

Until then, let’s celebrate the “little” things.

Jehoiada then made a covenant between the LORD and the king and people that they would be the LORD’s people. 2 Kings 11:17

I think the text speaks for itself as to what the topic will be today. What does “the LORD’s people” look like on a day-by-day basis? What kind of activities would someone calling himself/herself a part of “the LORD’s people” engage in? Many if not all reading this would say that they are “the LORD’s people.” If this is so (and I have no reason to doubt it), how should our lives be different if we are “the LORD’s people?” What makes us stand apart? Would those who know you say you are part of “the LORD’s people?” Would your enemies say you are part of “the LORD’s people?”

I think the questions above are similar to “what would Jesus do?” questions but with a twist. As a community of Believers, how should our lives be different? Would our churches be overflowing if we exhibited the love that Jesus taught? And as “the LORD’s people,” how would or should our involvement in our communities change?

The commanders of units of a hundred did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men—those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty—and came to Jehoiada the priest. Then he gave the commanders the spears and shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of the LORD. The guards, each with his weapon in his hand, stationed themselves around the king—near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple. 2 Kings 11:9-11

Hundreds of men were required to protect this seven-year-old boy. They even got weapons that belonged to King David, which I’m sure was extremely honorable in those days. Their job was thankless and risky. At any moment, they could be attacked and overrun, and slaughtered in the process. Their pay was probably miniscule compared to the risk involved.

Those who protect our leaders have a very thankless job. In fact, those who protect us have an even more thankless job. They are scorned, called vile names, and have things thrown at them. Take the time this week to thank a trooper, local cop, or deputy sheriff. If see men and women in military uniforms, thank them as well. Tell them you are praying for them, and then pray for them. They often have to make difficult decisions quickly, and it could endanger their own lives.

In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the Carites and the guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the LORD. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the temple of the LORD. Then he showed them the king’s son. He commanded them, saying, “This is what you are to do: You who are in the three companies that are going on duty on the Sabbath—a third of you guarding the royal palace, a third at the Sur Gate, and a third at the gate behind the guard, who take turns guarding the temple- and you who are in the other two companies that normally go off Sabbath duty are all to guard the temple for the king. Station yourselves around the king, each man with his weapon in his hand. Anyone who approaches your ranks must be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.” 2 Kings 11:4-8

In those days priests and other religious leaders wielded a lot of power. Their actions were not questioned often. Some would say that they had too much power.

Today we see power among religious leaders growing, and it’s troubling. It’s one thing to have influence over people. It’s entirely different when that power and influence goes to your head and you think youi are more than you actually are. Obviously this doesn’t apply to all religious leaders in all denominations.

Pray for your pastor, today. Pray that he (or she) will continue to have a godly influence on congregations. Pray that God will use that influence for His glory. Pray that he or she will make right choices concerning their congregations.

And of course, pray for the spouses as well. Pray that God will continue to use them in their ministries as well.

When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed. He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled the land. 2 Kings 11:1-3

Jehoida hid Joash for six years in the temple. Later the text tells us that he was seven years old when he began to reign! Throughout history, boys like this have been hidden from ruthless leaders. Take Moses for instance. His life was in jeopardy from Pharoah, so his mother placed him in the Nile river. He was picked up by Pharoah’s daughter, who reared him as her own son. As another example, look at Jesus. His parents had to flee to Egypt because of Herod’s decree. The most vulnerable in a society seem to frequently be the easy target of tyrannical leaders, often because of their own insecurities and tentative hold on power.

Fortunately, there are those who stand beside the vulnerable. You’ll never see these people in the news. You’ll never know their names. They are the people who stand up for the elderly, abused women, the homeless, the refugees, and the unborn. Obviously there are other groups that fit into that category. Look at those groups again. Are there any that resonate within your spirit? Is there a way you can lend a hand just once or twice a month? Or more.

Jehosheba hid the baby king for six years, without fanfare or praise from the outside world. Sometimes we just need to do this kind of thing, without fanfare and without praise.

Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. Now summon all the prophets of Baal, all his ministers and all his priests. See that no one is missing, because I am going to hold a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who fails to come will no longer live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the ministers of Baal. 2 Kings 10:18-19

Jehu was a wild driver, that much we know. But he also gathered all the priests of Baal together and rid the land of them. He got them there however he could. Then he had them all killed.

As I write this, coalition forces in Afghanistan and Iraq are trying to rid the world of terrorists. Admittedly it’s messy. Many terrorists have chosen to go gather in those lands to war against the American-led forces. Much blood is being shed. The coalition forces are doing what they can to minimize civilian and innocent casualties but they often have very restrictive “rules of engagement.” Perhaps everyone reading this has a friend or loved one in the trenches of one of those wars. Pray for the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and commanding officers on the ground that they will have wisdom. Pray that they will make good choices given the pressure-cooker situations they are faced with regularly.

But they were terrified and said, “If two kings could not resist him, how can we?” 2 Kings 10:4

Jehu had just killed Joram and Ahaziah, and watched as Jezebel tumbled out the window. Word spread quickly. Jehu had gained a solid reputation as a brutal king (and a wild driver). That alone gave him sway and power. He came in strength. In the next verse, the city administrators sent a letter to Jehu, cowering in fear before him. In the end Jehu ordered the administrators to put to death all 70 of Ahab’s sons. It was important that all the evil of Ahab’s house be rooted out and destroyed. Good leaders have to make difficult decisions involving the lives of others.

Throughout recent history, leaders have sought to do what was popular and not necessarily what was right. Being right has always trumped being popular. Unfortunately, in every country there are those who try to gain popularity and compromise their values in the process. Political power is strange that way. Pray for your country’s leadership, regardless of whether you agree with them or not. Pray that God Himself will intervene in their lives so that they will make good decisions, not decisions that will prolong their popularity, but decisions that are right decisions.

The lookout reported, “He has reached them, but he isn’t coming back either. The driving is like that of Jehu son of Nimshi—he drives like a madman.” 2 Kings 9:20

Obviously King Jehu had a poor reputation as a driver, like that of a madman. I don’t recall anything else that Jehu is noted for in the Bible except his chariot driving abilities. When we get to heaven, and if Jehu happens to be there (further text is ambiguous), we’ll remember him as the wild chariot driver, not that he led Israel in battles and was ruler over them for 28 years. It was how he drove that people will remember.

Without me writing a word further, you know where I’m going with this. That’s right, how’s your driving? Are you courteous on the roads? Do you “flip people off?” I sure hope not. Do you speed? Are you reckless? Do you yell at other cars while you’re driving? Now here’s the important question, if you have any kind of decal or Christian symbol on the vehicle, do your actions as a driver reflect your beliefs? To my knowledge there’s no indication that anyone has ever gotten saved by seeing the fish symbol on the car. However, if you drive like Jehu, people will notice, and they will notice the symbol on the vehicle. Rightly or wrongly, your driving actions may be judged by that symbol.

So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. 2 Kings 9:14

There’s a general principle in Scripture (and in life) that goes like this: if you live by the sword you’ll die by the sword. There were dozens of passages in Kings that I could use to illustrate this. If someone overthrows the reigning king, there’s a good chance that he will be overthrown in the same manner.

We don’t have to look far to see that even today in our modern world. We call it a coup d’etat or a coup. When you hear of a coup occurring, pray. Pray for the church in that country. Pray for Christian leaders to continue preaching the Word of God. Pray that the Church will be the voice of sanity in those times.

Then take the flask and pour the oil on his head and declare, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run; don’t delay!” 2 Kings 9:3

You have to admit, there are some pretty interesting tidbits in the Bible. This is one of them. Essentially, one man out of the company of prophets was chosen by Elisha to take the news to Jehu. He was given instructions on how to do it, then Elisha said, “open the door and run!” How odd. Hightail it out of there. Get out of Dodge! He did just as he was commanded, although he did embellish the anointing (2 Kings 9:7-10). His running away forced Jehu to tell his fellow commanders what the prophet had told him. The prophet gave the message, then ran just as he was told.

Perhaps there’s a situation or relationship you need to consider running far and fast from. You know you have been hearing the voice of God (and you just know it is the voice of God) tell you to do flee, but you haven’t done it yet. You’re comfortable though you sense the nudge. If it’s sin, flee. If it’s an illicit relationship, flee. Then ask God to fill that void, that emptiness. Ask Him every day if you need.

Run to Him.

Elisha answered, “Go and say to him, ‘You will certainly recover’; but the LORD has revealed to me that he will in fact die.” He stared at him with a fixed gaze until Hazael felt ashamed. Then the man of God began to weep. 2 Kings 8:10-11

This is an interesting passage. Elisha knows what’s about to happen to the king of Aram. Elisha weeps because he knows that this messenger will be the one to harm Israel. And everything Elisha said came true.

What makes you weep? Does the sin you see all around make you weep? Does your sin make you weep? Does untold death and destruction and famine and bloodshed throughout the world grieve you? What about what you see on television, does it make you weep? Does anything make you weep?

At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to the king to beg for her house and land. The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, “Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done.” Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to beg the king for her house and land.  Gehazi said, “This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” 2 Kings 8:3-5

What are the odds of this happening after you being away for seven years? This woman was the perfect living illustration of what Elisha had been doing all along. The timing couldn’t have been better if they had planned it that way.

I hear Believers talk about a “God moment.” Sometimes everything just falls right into place. To be fair, though, many times the events don’t come together at all, and we’ve all seen those. So what do with do with this God moment of the widow and others in our lives that are clearly moments when everything is lined up perfectly.

First, acknowledge the moment for what is. Thank God for making it all happen, and then ask Him what you should do with it. If things have all come together or if they’ve all fallen apart, we ask the same question, “Lord, what now?” because it may not be all that apparent what we should do when it’s happening.

I don’t believe that God is all about making things smooth and coming together just so we can have touch-feely God moments. No, He’s more about working in our lives no matter what comes our way so that He will get the glory, no matter what.

Then they [the four men with leprosy] said to each other, “We’re not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.” 2 Kings 7:9

Four unlikely men were in charge of good news. Who would believe them? They were considered unclean and had little, if any, influence in that culture. They were outcasts.

But they had good news. It wasn’t right that they were withholding the news, so they went to the palace to tell the king.

This is a great story, isn’t it? We can all learn from it because it has implications for sharing the Gospel in our culture (whatever culture that is) or any good news for that matter.

This is certainly a story that we can tell our children, but it can’t end there (as in, “if you had good news, is it right to keep it to yourself?”). You see, our children are watching us carefully to see if what we say matches what we do.

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. Matthew 5:15

Pray and plan out some activities over the next month that will help you live out this verse. It shouldn’t be contrived or mechanical, but something that is natural and a result of the outflow of what is already inside you.

The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?”
“You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it!” 2 Kings 7:2

The king of Israel and Elisha definitely had an up and down relationship. The king wanted to eliminate Elisha but in the past he had been able to provide the king some good military intelligence. Israel was in the midst of a famine, something the king blamed Elisha for. Now Elisha had just told the officer that the floodgates of heaven would open but the officer would not enjoy any of it. It was enough to drive the king insane! Elisha had spoken truth. Later in the chapter, the officer (who also happened to be in charge of the plunder from the Aramaen camp) was overrun with people trying to get to the plunder.

It’s easy to get lost in the entire found in 2 Kings 7. We know that there are truth seekers and truth tellers out there. We know they exist because we’ve seen them in action. But we also know that there are shysters and those who would pervert the Gospel for dishonest gain.

We need more Truth Tellers. We need more and more who will speak the truth to those in charge even if it means that their life is in jeopardy. We need those who will continue day after day after day to stand up for the truth. Pray that God will raise up more and more Truth Tellers. Ask Him what your role will be in that effort.

Then [the King] asked her, “What’s the matter?” 2 Kings 6:28

The king of Israel was passing by and overheard a woman call out to him. He stopped and listened to her. It’s such a simple passage but full of insight, not into earthly kings necessarily, but our Heavenly King.

The King stops what He’s doing to listen to you. The King will always stop to listen to you.

• When you hurt, He’ll listen.
• When you feel rejected, He’ll listen.
• When you want to lash out, He’ll listen.
• When you just need to murmur or cry, He’ll listen.
• When you want to laugh and sing for joy, He’ll listen.

The point is that He’ll listen anytime, anywhere. The pain and heartache we experience is often His way of reaching out to us so that we, in turn, will reach out to Him.

When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?”

“Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill men you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.” So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory. 2 Kings 6:21-23

When the Lord is on your side, it’s never a fair fight. As we talked about already, the men of Aram were blinded, captured, and led into Samaria. It wasn’t fair at all. But in a war, what’s fair?

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:4

You see, we, too are in a war. We can’t see the enemy but he’s there. And fortunately for us, the Lord is on our side. The problem I see is that we forget that God is on our side. We try to fight alone. We’re not meant to go it alone. We’re meant to cry out to Him in our hour of need, and in our hour of plenty.

“Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill men you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.” So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory. 2 Kings 6:22-23

Israel extended an olive branch and the men of Aram took it. Did it work every time they tried it? Definitely not. Does it work every time it’s tried today? If it did, we’d all be living in a glorious Utopia with no cares in the world.

…a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:8

I don’t quote that verse to justify war; I use it to point out it’s not always a black and white world. Our world is grayer than we’d like it to be. We are often faced with difficult decisions. Even in our personal lives, it’s not always clear when we should be compassionate or when to put up a good fight. It takes a great amount of wisdom to sort between the two.

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?”

“Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill men you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.” So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory. 2 Kings 6:21-23

When the Lord is on your side, it’s never a fair fight. The men of Aram were blinded, captured, and led into Samaria. The king of Israel wanted to slaughter them on the spot. It would have been a complete defeat. Instead, Elisha fed them and they returned to their master. The end result was that Aram stopped raiding Israel.

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you. Proverbs 25:21-22.

Have you ever fed your enemies? Have you ever had dinner with them? Perhaps a simpler question is, do you even know who your enemies are? What are you doing to patch relations with those enemies?

As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Strike these people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked. 2 Kings 6:18

Search the realm of military field tactics and this tactic is absent from any sound teaching. God opened the eyes of Elisha’s servant and blinded the soldiers who were out to kill them. It was an interesting prayer, “blind the men.” It had the same effect as if God had confused their minds.

As many of you are aware, it is often difficult to get religious materials into certain countries that are hostile to the Gospel. Twenty years ago, Bible smugglers penetrated Communist countries such as Russia, Romania, Czechoslovakia, and others with many religious materials and Bibles. Now, every one of those lands is open to the Gospel.

However, Muslim countries (and a few Communist countries) have replaced the former Soviet bloc countries, and they are notorious for disallowing Bibles and religious material from crossing their borders.

Fellow Believers, we are in a war with the forces of darkness in atheistic and Islamic countries. Pray what Elisha prayed, that his enemies would be blinded. Pray that those seeking to bring Bibles into those countries would be able to freely pass, and inspection officials would overlook or not even see the religious material. Just as the men Elisha prayed for weren’t blinded permanently, we should pray that officials cannot see what is before them. We should pray that God would have favor on those who attempt such acts because the “smugglers” could be sent to prison.

We don’t know what it’s like not to have the Bible to read. Millions, even billions, have never seen a Bible. Pray that no matter where the Bibles finally end up (even if it’s in the hands of Customs officials), that the truth of the Gospel will penetrate the hardened hearts of those reading it.

“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
And Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:17

This is the passage we read about as kids. The Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire. It’s a beautiful reminder to us all that there’s a spiritual battle going on around us that we cannot see or hear. We’re not in this fight alone, even though the world may be crashing down all around us.

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Romans 8:33-34

Certainly there’s an unseen battle going on around us. Whether it’s the horses and chariots that Elisha’s servant saw or Christ Jesus going to the Father on our behalf, we are not alone.

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked.
“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 2 Kings 6:15-16

Imagine Elisha’s servant’s surprise when he woke that morning. Surrounded. North, South, East, and West. Horses. Men. Chariots. Weapons. No escape. He brought Elisha the bad news: they were in big trouble. Pause right there.

We are Elisha’s servant.

We worry and fret and wring our hands and count the enemies and see a dead end. The obstacles we see are insurmountable at times. Rather than focusing on God’s omnipotent power in any situation, we see a series of hurdles that are ten feet high. Instead of dropping to our knees in dependence upon Him, we tell everyone who will listen.

How different our lives would be if we hurled our cares upon Him first. 1 Peter 5:7

This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”
“None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.” 2 Kings 6:11-12

It must have been frustrating for the king of Aram to do battle against Israel when a known prophet of God, Elisha, was foretelling the shots for Israel. How can you compete against that kind of intelligence? Elisha’s reputation definitely preceded him. In that time period there was no internet or cable news. A person’s reputation was saved or sunk by word of mouth.

Does your reputation precede you? Of course it does. The question is, how is that reputation? There will always be naysayers and doubters and gossipers and slanderers who malign your name and reputation, but I’m not talking about those. What do your co-workers say about you? What does your boss say about you to her boss? What about your fellow churchgoers? What do they say about you? When I first became a Believer 25+ years ago, I overheard someone say (about me), “if Dave says he’ll be there, count on it!” It was a small glimpse into my own reputation.

A good name is more desirable than great riches… Proverbs 22:1

The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. “Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it. 2 Kings 6:6-7

The “company of prophets” Elisha was with would learn more in one day with that one miracle than any kind of lecture or teaching ever could. The prophets were setting up camp. An axhead fell into the water. The prophets informed Elisha about the incident. Elisha raised up the piece of iron so the prophets could get back to work.

We all know that iron axheads do not float, but this one did. The company of prophets must have been astounded. And human nature what it is, you can bet that the prophets were all trying the same thing after Elisha left.

But Elisha’s point wasn’t that with a few magical words, heavy axheads would float so you could retrieve them. No, Elisha was showing the power of God in a practical way.

Without a doubt Elisha had a special anointing on his life and was promised a double portion of what Elijah was given. We too marvel when we see the hand of God at work. We’ve all heard the healing stories of God’s miraculous handiwork. But it takes a little more to appreciate the “mundane” miracles of God: a child of God believing even though He doesn’t heal her at the moment, an alcoholic’s life turned around, a prostitute completely forgiven of her sins, a child’s innocent prayer answered.

God performs the spectacular, to be sure. But don’t miss the smaller miracles we can marvel in every day.

“Where have you been, Gehazi?” Elisha asked. “Your servant didn’t go anywhere,” Gehazi answered. 2 Kings 5:25

Not only did Gehazi do what was opposed to what Elisha had done, but he lied about it when he returned home. The entire time Gehazi is travelling to meet Naaman, he had to have known that what he was about to do was wrong. We don’t know the distance but certainly Gehazi was conjuring up a lie to tell Gehazi, the one that would be the most believable. And Gehazi was foolish enough to think that he wouldn’t get caught! We wonder what might have happened had he not try to cover it up.

We are faced with choices every day. We have the truth and everything else: gray areas, half truths, bald-faced lies, white lies, stretching the truth, fudging the truth, covering for someone, tall tales, fibbing, lying through your teeth, and distortions. We’ve made dishonesty an art form. But to be fair, we can’t hold a candle to many other cultures when it comes to lying.

But ironically enough, the One to Whom we are rarely honest is the One who knows our very thoughts! And He knows why we’re withholding information from Him! It’s not that we’re dishonest with Him but we just don’t think He cares about our inner beings, especially when it comes to confessing our sins again and again and again and yet again. So why are we hiding? What do we have to lose when we bare our souls in honest devotion and confession? The bigger question is ‘what do we have to gain?’ A clear conscience and a soul at rest.

“Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.” Psalm 116:7

“Go in peace,” Elisha said. 2 Kings 5:19

This phrase is used throughout the Bible. In many Middle Eastern cultures, this is your “good bye.” It’s such a pleasant, relaxing phrase. If you want to bless a Jew, merely utter the words Shabbat Shalom on a Friday afternoon. “Have a peaceful Sabbath rest.” You might say it coming and going to a Muslim. Salaam is Arabic for peace.

But this devotional isn’t about greetings; it’s about the word ‘peace.’

Are we as Believers at peace? I’m not referring to the eternal peace of knowing Christ and resting in that, but the inner peace that comes from a clear conscience and the peace that comes from knowing we don’t have to work and work and work to be accepted by God. Often those two peaces are in constant conflict. You can be busy and still be at peace. Likewise, you can lead a boring life but still be restless inside. The world beyond our church walls is desperately seeking that internal and eternal peace.

If we’re experiencing that internal turmoil, perhaps it’s best we slow down and ask why there’s internal strife.

And it may be the toughest thing we do all year.

Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant.” 2 Kings 5:15

Despite Naaman’s anger at having to dip himself in the Jordan seven times, he returned to Elisha to thank him. Recall in the New Testament that ten were healed but only one came back to thank Jesus for healing him.

Gratefulness is a lifelong habit cultivated by thanking people. You can probably recall incidents where you were hurt by somebody NOT thanking you for something you had done for that person.

Sometimes those thanks come in words, letters, phone calls, or simple reciprocal deeds. Being thankful also encourages humility because we realize that we can’t do this thing called life alone. We need help in most steps along the way.

Throughout this day, consciously thank people who help you.

But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 2 Kings 5:11

We read this story and smile at Naaman’s foolishness but we only do it because we know the outcome of the story. We’ve read it numerous times and ask, “why didn’t he just do what the prophet told him? It’s fairly straightforward.” And as I’ve written elsewhere, if we were Naaman we’d do exactly what he did.

How do I know that?

Have you ever broken even one of the Ten Commandments? Of course we have. In our hearts (as the New Testament teaches) we’ve broken most of them. Even after we knew what they were (and memorized them) we broke them. God knows the outcome of breaking those commandments: destruction, sin, nasty thoughts, hatred. We see it all around us. We experience it every day. And yet we continue to commit those acts as well. I could even make a case that we are one step worse than Naaman because we know the outcome of our actions; Naaman didn’t. My point isn’t to try to increase our guilt, but for us to take a look at the Bible and its characters in a totally different way.

When we read Scriptures, try to walk a mile in the sandals of the people you’re reading about. Naaman was an Army commander. A prophet he probably had never met told him to dip himself in the Jordan seven times. That was laughable, especially if you didn’t know the other side of the story. What would you have done if you didn’t know the “rest of the story?” Naaman eventually dipped himself in the Jordan seven times and was healed. But he first had to be convinced it was a reasonable plan. And when God healed him, I’m certain Naaman had a “I should’ve known all along” moment.

Are we really any different?

Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 2 Kings 5:2-3

Naaman’s wife’s servant girl was from Israel, but she had influence. She knew what was going on in Naaman’s household and suggested a solution to her mistress, Naaman’s wife.

She was insignificant, a mere servant girl taken captive from Israel. We don’t know her name but we see the spirit of this girl multiplied ten thousand times today. Many men and women in Third World countries (Philippines, Thailand, India, and many African nations come to mind) go abroad for employment. Many end up as servants and glorified slaves (and worse) to wealthy, influential men. But these “insignificant” men and women of God live in horrible conditions. Their masters are often cruel and uncaring.

Every now and then, though, we hear stories of how someone cleaning the Prince’s chambers in Saudi Arabia or a Princess’ living quarters in Bahrain has had a chance to share their faith with their employers. Even as they share their stories, they are risking their lives. Needless to say, God has interesting ways of influencing people who are not normally receptive to the Gospel.

Pray for boldness in these unknown Believers. They exist on nothing to be able to send money home, and they have opportunities you and I will never have. Pray that God will encourage them greatly in these days.

Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. 2 Kings 5:1

What a biography. Commander for the king. Great man. Highly regarded. Valiant soldier. But Naaman had a problem. He had leprosy. You would think that the Lord could have already healed him from this great skin malady. You’d think that the leprosy would have passed him by because he’s a great man in the eyes of the world and God!

But no. Naaman had leprosy.

Many who read this know what this feeling is like. You’re serving Christ, racking up great victories. You’re making a difference in many lives. You are doing what you know to be the work of the Lord. Then something catastrophic happens. You or a family member is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Or you find out very disturbing things about your adult child. Or you’ve miscarried for the second time in as many years. Or your parents were killed by a drunk driver.

Why why why?

Naaman had an advocate: Elisha.

We too have an advocate: Jesus Christ. You see, Jesus will go to the Father on our behalf, but we must go to him first. The Bible tells us to “cast all our cares on Him for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7  Will it be easy as 1,2,3? No. Nothing in life is that way. But going to Him is part of the solution.

Often it is the only solution.