Sat.’s Devo - God’s Grace is Sufficient

Read: 2 Kings 3:1-4:17; Acts 14:8-28; Psalm 140:1-13: Proverbs 17:22 Ahab’s son, Joram, still worshipped the golden calves that Jeroboam had built, but he wasn’t as evil as Ahab. He tore down the pillar of Baal that Ahab had set up. *** The king of Moab had paid tribute of lambs and wool to Israel but when Ahab died, he refused to continue paying it. King Joram gathered the army of Israel and went to fight King Mesha of Moab. He sent a message to King Jehoshaphat of Judah to come and join him. Jehoshaphat agreed to help him as well as the king of Edom. But, when they met in the wilderness they found there was no water. After seven days of no water, they feared for their lives. Jehoshaphat asked if their was a prophet among them so they could ask the Lord what to do. Elisha was near, so they sent delegates to bring him to them. Elisha asked the king of Israel why he was coming to God’s prophet for help when he had his own false prophets. *** Elisha told them that he wouldn’t have even bothered to come except that King Jehoshaphat was with them and Jehoshaphat feared God. Elisha asked for a harp to be brought so he could invite God’s Spirit. When the harpist played, the power of the Lord came upon Elisha. He told the kings that the dry ground around them would be filled with pools of water, but it would not rain. God would do this, and he would also give them victory over the army of Moab. They would conquer their best towns, cut down all their good trees, stop up all their springs, and ruin the good land with stones. *** The next day at the time of the morning sacrifice, water suddenly appeared flowing from the direction of Edom, and soon was in pools all around. them *** When the Moabites awoke, they saw the water. The sun reflected off of it, making it appear to be blood. The Moabites figured the armies had attacked each other and now all they had to do was to collect the plunder. They went straight to the armies. When they reached the Israelite camp, the army of Israel rushed out and chased them doing everything God said they would do. *** The king of Moab sacrificed his heir on the wall. This was their surrender, and the Israelites withdrew and returned home. *** One day, a widow woman of one of Elisha’s prophets came to him desperately asking for help. She couldn’t pay her bills so the creditors were coming to take her two sons as slaves. Elisha asked her what she had of value. She had a flask of olive oil. Elisha told her to borrow as many empty jars as she could, then go into her house with her sons and shut the door. Then she was to begin pouring from her flask of olive oil into these jars. She did and the oil continued to flow until the last jar was full. Elisha told her to sell the oil and pay her creditors and live on the rest. *** Later in the town of Shunem, there was a wealthy woman who would feed Elisha when he came to town. She and her husband eventually had a small room built on the roof of their house for him to stay in, furnishing it with a bed, table, chair and lamp. 
 *** One day, when Elisha was staying there he asked his servant, Gehazi what he could do to repay her for her kindness. Gehazi noticed that her husband was getting old and she didn’t have a son. The next day, Elisha called her in and told her that by that time next year, she would be holding a son. It happened just as Elisha had said. *** In Acts, Paul and Barnabas were in Lystra teaching. A man who had been crippled from birth was listening and Paul realized the man had faith to be healed, so he told him to stand up and walk. He did and the town went into an uproar. They claimed Paul was Zeus and Barnabas was Hermes. The priests of the temple brought bulls and wreaths of flowers to the town gates and prepared to offer sacrifices to the apostles. *** When Paul and Barnabas heard of what was happening they tore their clothes and proved to the people that they were just men. They had come to turn them away from these worthless idols and tell them the Good News about Christ. *** Jews arrived from the towns of Antioch and Iconium and swayed the crowd to their side. They took Paul out of town and stoned him. They thought he was dead, but the believers brought him back and he and Barnabas left the next day. *** They went on to Derbe and preached, then came back to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch strengthening the believers. They appointed elders to take care of the people and continue their walk with Jesus. *** Paul and Barnabas returned home to Syria and testified of all they had seen and done for the sake of Christ. *** Lord, may we remember the sacrifice that many have gone through before us and be encouraged. May we fellowship with Christ in our suffering knowing that he suffered way beyond anything we will ever suffer and his grace is sufficient.