Mon.’s Devo - God’s Miracles

Read: 2 Kings 6:1-7:20; Acts 15:36-15; Psalm 142:1-7; Proverbs 17:24-25 Elisha had been training other men to hear from God and they were out-growing their building. They wanted to build a bigger place and asked Elisha to come with them. He agreed and as they were cutting down trees for lumber one of the men’s ax head fell into the water of the Jordan. He was very upset because he had borrowed it. Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water and the ax head floated. The man was able to reach in and retrieve it. *** Israel was in constant war with Aram. Elisha would tell the king of Israel Aram’s plans and alert them of where they would be. The King of Aram accused his own officers of being traitors because of the obvious leak in security. One of his officers told him it was not them, but Elisha who told the king’s most intimate secrets. He commanded that his army go and seized Elisha. *** The army of Aram surrounded the city where Elisha was staying. His servant went outside early in the morning and saw the Aramean army and came back and told Elisha. Elisha told him not to be afraid, then prayed that his eyes be opened to see. When he looked the next time, he saw the hillside around Elisha filled with horses and chariots of fire. *** As the army of Aram advanced toward him. Elisha prayed that they would be blinded and God struck them with blindness. Elisha went out and told them that they were not in the right place, but he would lead then to the city where the man he was looking for. *** They let Elisha lead them, and he led them to the city of Samaria. Then Elisha prayed and God opened their eyes. The king asked Elisha what he should do to them and Elisha told him to feed them and send them home. The king prepared a feast for them and they returned home and the Aramean raiders stayed away from Israel from that time on. *** However, later King Ben-hadad of Aram mustered his entire army and came and besieged Samaria. It lasted so long that people were paying eighty pieces of silver just for a donkey’s head. Dove’s dung was selling for five pieces of silver. *** When the king heard of two women who were eating their new borns, he put on sack cloth. He wanted to kill Elisha because he thought he had something to do with it. He sent messengers to get Elisha. Elisha was with the elders of Israel and told them that a murderer (the king of Israel) was sending a man to cut his head off. He told them to shut his door and keep them out. His master would soon follow. *** While Elisha was saying this the messenger arrived and the king was right behind him. He blamed the whole famine on Elisha but Elisha gave him a word from the Lord. By this time tomorrow, six quarts of choice flour will cost only one pice of silver and twelve quarts of barley would cast only one piece of silver. *** The officer with the king said this couldn’t happen even if God opened the windows of heaven. Elisha told that man that he would see it with his eyes but not be able to eat any of it. *** There were four lepers who sat at the gates of the city. They were starving and decided to take try their luck and defect to the Aramean army in hopes of being fed. They left for their army camp but God had caused the army to hear the sound of horses and chariots of a great army. They had run in fear leaving all their plunder and supplies behind. The lepers went from tent to tent gathering food and supplies. They took what they wanted and buried it then felt bad that they weren’t sharing it with the people of Samaria. *** They went back in the middle of the night and told the men at the gate what they had found. The king was told and he sent spies to make sure it wasn’t a set-up. They came back with the good news. Then the people of Samaria ran out and plundered the Aramean camp. *** Everything Elisha had said about the market came true and the man who mocked him was trampled in the gate and died before he could taste of God’s goodness. *** In Acts, Paul asked Barnabas to go with him to visit the churches they had started and see how they were doing. He agreed to go but wanted to take John Mark with them. Paul didn’t want to since John Mark had deserted them before. They argued so sharply that they ended up going their own way. Paul took Silas with him. *** Paul and Silas went first to Derby, then Lystra where Timothy lived. Timothy joined them for the rest of the journey. They taught the decision of the elders in Jerusalem about circumcism, not eating food offered to idols or strangled, drinking blood or participating in sexual sins. *** They found the churches growing and encouraged them in the faith. They were not allowed in Asia or Bithynia but were allowed to go through Mysia. Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia which was in northern Greece. He was pleading with them to come to Macedonia and help them. *** They went by boat to Troas and to the island of Samothrace and then to Neapolis. They they went to the district of Macedonia which was a Roman colony and stayed for several days. *** On the Sabbath they went to a riverbank and sat with some women who had gathered there to pray. One of the women was Lydia who was a wealthy merchant of purple cloth. She listened to their preaching and became a believer. She and her household were baptized and she housed Paul and Silas while they were there. *** Lord, thank you for the amazing journeys you have yet for us to participate in. Walking with you is exciting and fulfilling. We live to honor you with our lives.