Mon.’s Devo - Stories of Elisha

Read: 2 Kings 4:18-5:27; Acts 15:1-35; Psalm 141:1-10; Proverbs 17:23 The son of the woman who housed Elisha was working in the field with his father when he got a bad head ache. The father sent him home to his mother. He died in her lap around noon so she took him upstairs and put him in Elisha’s bed. She had her servant saddle a donkey and off they went to find Elisha. They found him and told him what had happened. Elisha wanted to send Gehazi with his staff but she insisted that Elisha come. Elisha laid on the child and his life went into the child. He was restored to life and given back to the woman. *** Elisha traveled to Gilgal to meet with a group of prophets he mentored. There was a famine in the land at the time. Elisha had them gather vegetables to make a stew. Unknowingly one of the men brought back poisoned gourds and put them in the stew. The first ones to taste the stew knew at once the stew was poisoned. Elisha threw some flour into the pot and told them to eat and it was fine. *** A man from Baal-shalishah brought him grain and twenty loaves of barley bread made from his first fruits of grain. Elijah told his servant to feed the prophets and God multiplied the bread and they had left overs. *** The king of Aram had a commander who was a much favored warrior, only he suffered with leprosy. The warriors name was Naaman and he owned a captive girl from Israel. She told Naaman’s wife that she wished he would go see the prophet in Samaria because he could heal his leprosy. *** Naaman told the king what the girl had said, so he Naaman with sent letters to the king of Israel. He also sent 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold and ten sets of clothing as a gift. *** When the king of Israel read the letter from the King of Aram he thought he was instigating a war and tore his clothes in despair. Elisha heard the king had torn his robe and sent a message to him. He asked him why he was so upset, he was to send Naaman to him and he would learn that there was a true prophet in Israel. So he sent Naaman to Elisha. *** When he arrived at his house, Elisha sent Gehazi out to tell him to dip in the Jordan seven times and then he would be healed. Naaman was insulted that Elisha didn’t come out in person to see him and that he had told him to dip in the muddy Jordan River. He started to leave mad, but his wise servant reminded him that if the prophet had told him to do something difficult, he would have done it. Why not do this simple thing - wash and be clean. He agreed, and came out the seventh time clean. *** He returned to Elisha and met him face to face. He tried to give him the gifts he had brought but Elisha refused them. Naaman told him from then on he would not worship any God but the true God. Elisha sent him away in peace. *** Gehazi coveted those gifts and ran after Naaman and made up some story why Elisha needed 75 pounds of silver and two changes of clothes. He took these gifts and hid them. *** Elisha called him in and told him that since he deceived him and took Naaman’s gifts, he and his descendants would also receive Naaman’s leprosy. When Gehazi left the room, he was covered with leprosy. *** In Acts, men from Judea came to Antioch teaching the people that you must be circumcised to be saved. Paul and Barnabas disagreed and argued with them. The church sent Paul and Barnabas and some other believers to Jerusalem to ask the elders and apostles about this. *** Along the way they stopped in Phoenicia and Samaria to find that the Gentiles there were also being converted. *** When they arrived in Jerusalem they presented their question to the elders and apostles. Peter stood and testified how the Gentiles had received the gospel and the Holy Spirit just like the Jews. Barnabas and Paul gave their stories of the Gentiles they had seen come to the Lord. Finally, James stood and quoted what the prophet Amos had prophesied concerning the Gentiles. He concluded that the Gentiles did not need to be circumcised, but to abstain from eating food offered to idols and from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals and from consuming blood. They sent Judas and Silas back with Paul and Barnabas to deliver this new decision. They stayed for a while to encourage the church then returned to Jerusalem. *** This was a time of great transition in the church just like now. We are having many of our “sacred cows” crucified on the altar of understanding and revelation. Change is messy and sometimes hurtful but always good in the long run. 
 *** Lord, may we open our hearts to receive correction, guidance and revelation that is true. Give us great discernment to see what is of you and what is of man. May we walk in newness of life and Sprit.