Mon’s Devo - The Power of Praise

Read: 2 Kings 8:1-9:13; Acts 16:16-40; Psalm 143:1-12; Proverbs 17:26
It appears that once Gehazi lied to Elisha, he was no longer his servant. Today we read that he was with the king telling the stories of his time with Elisha. As he told the story of the woman whose son Elisha raised from the dead, she walked in to reclaim her land. She had been instructed by Elisha to leave for a while because a famine was coming. God’s timing is perfect. She was given her land and all the income her land had produced while she was gone.
Ben-hadad, king of Aram was ill and heard that Elisha had come to his country. He sent Hazel to ask Elisha if he would recover. Elisha told him he would recover but die. Hazael would become king and ruthlessly kill men, women, children and infants in the womb. He must have belonged to Planned Parenthood.
Sure enough, Hazael went home and told the king he would recover then killed him himself and was crowned king.
Jehoram, Jehoshaphat’s son became king of Judah and married Ahab’s daughter following after Ahab’s ways instead of his fathers who had followed the Lord. During his reign, Edom and Lybnah rebelled. Jehoram died and his son Ahaziah ruled. Ahaziah’s mother was Athaliah who was like Jezebel in doing evil. They were all kin to Ahaz, as was the king of Israel. The two kings joined together and fought Hazael, king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. Jehoram (Joram) got wounded in battle and had to go home. Hazael went to see him after the battle and Elisha sent one of his prophets to go to Ramoth Gilead and give Jehu a word. Jehu was another son of Jehoshaphat’s. He was to take him into a room by himself and anoint him king over Israel. He would destroy the house of Ahab. The prophet did as he was told and when he finished he fled. Jehu’s men asked him what the prophet had said and finally he told them. They blew the trumpet and proclaimed Jehu the king.
Wow! They changed kings like changing jeans. This is what it looks like when people do their own thing and let Satan move them. Finally, there is a man who is going to rid the nation’s of the influence of Ahab. I see this happening in our own nation. Trump is like Jehu ridding our nation of the evil influences of the house of Clinton. God bless our President and our nation.
In Acts, there was a servant girl who had the spirit of divination. When Paul cast it out she no longer had the ability to predict the future. Her master was now out of a cash cow and attacked their doctrine. Touch someone’s wallet and watch demons come to life. They were flogged and thrown into prison. This time they were put in the inner cell with their feet in stocks. They must have heard of all the times they were sprung from jail.
Instead of complaining about their undeserved punishment, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns as the other prisoners listened in amazement. God shook the earth and all the prison doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unlocked. The jailers came in fearful they had lost their prisoners. Paul shouted that they were all there and the jailer turned on the lights and brought them up so he could be saved. The jailer believed and washed their wounds, and fed them. He had them baptize his whole family. The next day, they were free to go.
Lord, help us to see the importance of praise in the midst of our persecutions.