Tues.’s Devo - The Acts of Elisha -

Read: 2 Kings 4:18-5:27; Acts 15:1-35; Psalm 141:1-10; Proverbs 17:23 The boy who Elisha had promised to the woman was out working with his father and got such a bad headache, he had his servants take him home. He died in his mother’s lap. She place him in Elisha’s bed and took off to Mount Carmel to find Elisha. *** She found Elisha and told him what had happened. She begged him to come home with her. He came and prayed for the boy to come to life. He finally laid on the boy, transferring his own life into the child. The boy awoke an sneezed 7 times. Then Elisha gave the boy back to his mother, alive. *** There was a famine in the land and Elisha went to visit the sons of the prophets in Gilgal. The prophets were gathering herbs and whatever they could find to make a big stew. One of them accidentally brought back a poisonous gourd and put it in the pot. They realized it was deadly to eat, so Elisha asked for some flour. He put it in the pot, then it was fit to eat. *** A man arrived bringing his firstfruits of barley to the Lord. It was the time of Pentecost. Elisha gave his small 20 loaves to feed the prophets. God multiplied the 20 loaves so that it fed 100 hungry prophets and they even had some left over, just as Elisha had said. *** The commander of the Syrian army was a very popular and mighty man in Syria. His name was Naaman and he had leprosy. He had taken an Israelite girl from Israel on one of his raids. She live with him and his wife and served his wife. *** The little girl noticed his leprosy and mentioned that there was a prophet in Samaria that could cure him. Naaman told his king who sent a letter to the king of Israel offering him gifts to heal his servant of his leprosy. The king of Israel read it and thought the king of Syria was trying to stir up trouble. He was so upset he tore his clothes. He knew he couldn’t cure this man’s leprosy. *** Elisha heard about it and told the king to send the man to him, so he may know that there is a prophet in Israel. Naaman came to Elisha’s house, but Elisha didn’t even come out to meet him. He sent out Gehazi to tell him to go wash in the Jordan seven times and he would be healed. *** Naaman was disgraced that Elisha wouldn’t even come out and meet him personally, and that he told him to go and wash in dirty water. They had cleaner lakes in Syria. As he left angry, his servant stopped him and told him that it was an easy thing that the prophet had told him to do. He humbled himself and went and washed seven times and came out with skin like a baby’s. *** Naaman went back to Elisha’s house and wanted to give him gifts for healing him, but Elisha wouldn’t accept them. Naaman asked if it would be okay to take home some of the dirt from Israel. He promised not to worship any other god but the Lord of Israel and he asked for forgiveness when he had to take his master into the house of Rimmon. Elisha sent him home with his blessing of peace. *** Gehazi coveted the gifts they could have gotten from Naaman so he secretly went after him. He lied and told him that two men had come to visit and Elisha would like to give them some of the silver and clothes he had offered Elisha. Naaman gladly gave him two talents of silver and two changes of clothes. *** When Gehazi returned and Elisha asked him where he had gone, he lied and told him nowhere. Elisha told him what he had done and told him it was not the time to accept gifts. Elisha said that the leprosy that left Naaman would now be on Gehazi and his family forever. Gehazi’s body turned white with leprosy. *** Gehazi had seen Elisha multiply food in the famine, bring the dead back to life and countless other signs and wonders. He got the privilege of walking with the most powerful man on the earth and yet, he still lusted after what the world thought was precious. He got it through lies, and along with it the curses of the world. *** In Acts, there was much debate about whether the new Christians needed to be circumcised because of Moses’ law. Paul and Barnabas took their question to the church in Jerusalem. The church in Jerusalem rejoiced when they heard all God had done through them. *** The Pharisees rose up and argued that these new believers had to be circumcised. After much debate, Peter stood up and explained that they all agreed it was God’s will that Gentiles come to God, so why would they put on them the yoke of the law that they were not able to bear. They all believed that they were saved by grace, not by works. *** Then they listened to the stories that Paul and Barnabas told them of all the conversions of the Gentiles and the signs and wonders that happened on their trip. He quoted what the prophet said about the Gentiles and concluded that the only yoke they should put on the Gentiles is that they keep away from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from eating meat that had been strangled and from eating blood. *** The apostles agree with what Paul said and sent Judas and Silas with Paul and Barnabas to give the church their answer to the question of circumcision. They took the letter to Antioch where it was received with joy. Judas and Silas spent some time there encouraging and prophesying over them before returning to Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch teaching and preaching the word of God. *** Lord, help us to keep our eyes on you and your grace to save. Thank you for giving us hearts that want to do right because you have written your Word on our hearts. Thank you for your Holy Spirit which leads us into all truth.