Read: 2 Kings 6:1-7:20; Acts 15:36-16:15; Psalm 142:1-7; Proverbs 17:24-25
The school of the prophets that Elisha led was growing so they needed another place to meet. As they were building it, one of the prophets lost his axe head in the river. He was distraught because it was borrowed. Elisha threw in a stick and it floated to the top where he could get it.
I can’t help but comparing that to our lives. The axehead can represent borrowed troubles that cause us to get separated from the body and our mission. All we have to do is throw something lighter at it like praise and it will surface so we can see it for what it really is. It is all about having spiritual eyes.
Gehazi found his spiritual eyes in our next story.
The king of Aram and Israel was in constant war but Elisha would tell King Jehoram every plan of the Arameans. When the army officer found out what was going on he sent his army to find Elisha. Elisha was at Dothan so they woke up to find that the whole army had surrounded them. Gehazi walked out and saw them and came in in a flurry of fear. Elisha told him to not be afraid because there were more on their side than on theirs. When he looked out again, Gehazi saw the army of God on the mountains in chariots of fire. Elisha prayed that the Aramean army would be blinded and they were. He went out and led them to Sarmaria where he prayed for their eyes to be opened. When they were opened and they found out where they were, they were the ones afraid. Elisha told the king to feed them and send them home.
They returned later and besieged Samaria. With no way to get water, the people were starving. They were eating bird poop, but when they started eating their own off-spring, the king sent for Elisha. (Amazing how everyone blames God and the people of God for all their consequences of their own sins.) Elisha told Jehoram’s officer that tomorrow there would be so much food that six quarts of choice flour would sell for one piece of silver. The officer didn’t believe him so he told him that he would only live to see it but not partake in any.
Four lepers were sitting at the gate of the city waiting to die. They decided to go surrender to the Armean army since they had no other option. When they got to their camp it was totally empty of people but laden with supplies and food.
God had scared the Arameans that night with the sound of horse hoofs. They thought Israel had hired the Hittites and Egyptians to attack them so they ran.
The four lepers got all they could carry and eat, then decided they should share this with the king. He sent out spies and found what they said to be true. The people stampeded out to the camp and ravaged it, trampling the officer who didn’t believe. Everything that Elisha said came true.
In Acts, Paul and Barnabas had a disagreement about whether to take John Mark with them or not. They split and Barnabas took John Mark to Cyprus. Paul took Silas and went to Syria, Cilicia, Derbe, Lystra and all through the land strengthening the churches. In Lystra he met a young disciple named Timothy. They took him with them and continued through Phrygia, Galatia and Troas.
In Troas, Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia pleading for them to come help them. This man was an angel of Macedonia. One of the people they met and converted was Lydia, a seller of purple and a wealthy business woman. She invited them to come stay at her house.
Lord, may we walk in the confident faith of Elisha and Paul.
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