Sun.’s Devo - God’s Timing

Read: 2 Kings 8:1-9:13; Acts 17:1-34; Psalm 143:1-12; Proverbs 17:26
Elisha told the woman who had given him a home that there was going to be a famine so she needed to find another place to live to survive. She moved to the land of the Philistines for seven years. When the famine was over she came back to the king to claim her land.
King Joram was visiting with Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, who wanted to know all the adventures Gehazi had had with Elisha. He was on the part of the story about the woman whose son had been restored, when she walked in. Talk about a set-up. The king was so impressed he ordered her land to be restored and all the fruits of her land since the day she had left to be restored also. This is such a Biblical concept. When we take care of God’s servants, God takes care of us.
There was a change of guards in the house of the kings. Ben-hadad, Syria’s king, was murdered and usurped by Hazael who became a very wicked king. Judah’s king went to Jehoshaphat’s son, Jehoram who married Ahab’s daughter and became a very wicked king. Ahab’s son, Joram, was king of Israel who followed in his father’s footsteps. (So, the king of Israel and the king of Judah were brother-in-laws.) Therefore, the whole land was being ruled by wicked kings.
When wickedness rules there is chaos in the land. Edom and Libnah both revolted from the rule of Judah. Joram went to war against Syria and was wounded. His nephew, Ahaziah from Judah came to visit him. God was not happy with the kings so told Elisha to anoint a new king over Israel. He was to anoint Jehu, another of Jehoshaphat’s sons to rule. Elisha sent one of his prophets to anoint him in secret, then run. He was to rid the land of Ahab’s seed. Jezebel was to die and be eaten by dog’s and Naboth was to be avenged of what Jezebel did to him. Her blood would be shed in his vineyard. When Jehu came out of the room, the men asked him what that was all about. He told him that the prophet had anointed him king so they blew the trumpet and proclaimed him king.
In Acts, many were saved. When Paul and Silas cast the spirit of divination out of a girl and cost her master monetarily, Paul and Silas received a beating and were thrown into the inner part of the jail. The leaders of Macedonia must have heard about what happened the last time Paul was thrown in jail because this time they put them in the inner part of the jail. At midnight, as Paul and Silas were praising God, God caused a great earthquake that shook everyone’s chains off and opened all the doors of the prison. When they didn’t escape, the prison ward fell on his knees and he was saved. By the time they were released from jail, God had saved the man’s household and God got great glory. The next morning the men were released and stood up for their rights as Roman citizens.
Paul and Silas knew their rights as Christians in God’s kingdom and as Romans in the Roman kingdom. Lord, help us to know who we are in You and in the world.