Wed.’s Devo - Signs and Wonders -

Read: 2 Kings 6:1-7:20; Acts 15:36-16:15; Psalm 142:1-7; Proverbs 17:24-25 Today we read more exploits of Elisha. Elisha mentored many younger prophets just like Elijah did. The school of the prophets became too small so they wanted to built a bigger place by the Jordan. As they were cutting down the trees to build, one of the prophet’s axe head came off and fell into the water. He was very upset because he had borrowed it. Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water and the iron axe head floated to the top. *** The king of Syria was very perplexed and believed he had a mole among his soldiers because the king of Israel always was a step ahead of him. When he went to his servants to ask them about it, they said there was no mole, it was Elisha the prophet who told the king everything he was planning. *** The king of Syria sent his army to go to Dothan and seize Elisha. They surrounded the city of Dothan and Elisha’s servants saw them. He told Elisha they were surrounded and Elisha told him that there were more with them than with the Syrians. Elisha prayed that God would open his servant’s eyes. When his servants went to look again, he saw that surrounding the army of Syria was the army of God. The mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. *** When the Syrians came to Elisha, he prayed that God would blind their eyes and he led them to the middle of Samaria. Then he prayed that God would open their eyes and they realized where they were. The king of Israel asked Elisha what he should do with the Syrian soldiers and Elisha told him to feed them, then send them home. *** Later, Benhadad, the king of Syria came and besieged Samaria. The people were starving. When the king heard of a woman eating her own baby he became so mad and planned to kill Elisha, blaming him for the famine. *** The king sent for Elisha and Elisha knew he was coming. He had his servant hold the door to keep the king’s messenger from taking him. He was waiting for the king to arrive. The king wanted to know when God was going to save them. Elisha told him that tomorrow about this same time, 7 quarts of flour would sell for a shekel (which is not very much money). When the king’s captain laughed at this, Elisha told him he would see it with his eyes but never eat it. *** There were four lepers who decided to surrender to the Syrians because they were dying and had nothing to lose. *** At the Syrian camp, the soldiers had heard the sound of a great army coming and feared Israel had hired the Hittites and the Egyptians to fight them. They ran for their lives leaving all their supplies behind. *** When the four lepers came to the Syrian camp they found it abandoned, but all their supplies there. They began plundering the tents and hiding it, then realized they shouldn’t keep this to themselves. They went to the gate of Samaria and told the gatekeepers to tell the king what they saw. *** The king sent messengers to see if what they had said was true or just a trap. When they saw how the army had fled, they came back and told the king it was safe to plunder their camp. The people went and plundered the Syrian camp and the guy who had mocked what Elisha said was trampled in the gate just as Elisha said would happen. *** In Acts, Paul and Barnabas returned to visit all the churches they had ministered in. Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them but Paul didn’t because John Mark had left them during the first journey. Barnabas and Paul argued and finally, Barnabas took John Mark and went to Cyprus, and Paul took Silas and went to Syria with the blessing of the church. *** Paul met Timothy in Derbe and took him with him the rest of the trip. He circumcised him because of the Jews who were in the places they would visit. They shared with all the people what the decision of the church in Jerusalem was about circumcision and encouraged them in their walk. Many came to believe. *** They traveled on throughout Phrygia and Galtia. The Holy Spirit wound’t allow them to go to Asia or into Bithynia so they went to Troas. Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia standing there asking him to come there to help them. So they set sail and went to Philippi which was a leading city in Macedonia. They met with the women who had a prayer group that met outside the city. One of the ladies who attended was Lydia who was from Thyatira and sold purple goods. She believed and was baptized. She invited them to come stay at her house. *** Lord, thank you that your Word confirms that signs and wonders will follow those who believer. Thank you for the signs and wonders you show us every day. May our eyes be open to see your work in the earth.