What's In A Genealogy?

One of the books in my reading plan today was the gospel of Matthew. I thought that since I would be starting chapter 1 today and with chapter 1 being a genealogy, that it would be an otherwise uneventful read. Apparently, that wasn't God's plan. :) 

Going through the genealogy, I began to realize a few things:

1. God has a perfect plan formed long before I was even born. Life is not a series of random choices and circumstances but rather a continuous list of divinely appointed events. He has a plan for each day of my life and His plans are always, always perfect and for my good. ( Deuteronomy 32:3-4, Psalm 139:16, Jeremiah 29:11). 

2. God'a plan is so perfect and foolproof that it continues even through what may seem like difficult times. This truth jumped out at me as I was reading Matthew 1:11-12 where it says "...Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the deportation to Babylon. After the deportation to Babylon Jeconiah became the father to Shealtiel..." and so on. 

The time of the captivity and exile to Babylon was a consequence of the disobedience and stubborness of the people of God. It was a difficult time. Perhaps most of them even thought that They had already been abandoned by God. Now I know He never did. Even during this time He was carrying out His ultimate plan to save them. The encouragement for me when going through a modern day Babylonian exile of sorts-GOD'S PLAN IS STILL IN OPERATION. 

Though there will be times when I have to suffer through the consequences of my sin, stubborness and disobedience, but this does not stop God's plan. I need to go through it to get refined and purified to make me ready for the rest of God's plan's unfolding.

3.God's plan may not always make sense to me in the beginning but it is always for my good. I need to summon up courage enough to obey when this happens. Looking at Joseph in Matthew 1:18-25 I find a perfect example. He does the right thing in choosing to stand by Mary (even if it most likely didn't make much sense to Him). As He chooses to obey God reveals to him His plan. Often times I foolishly want a glimpse of the plan first( to see if it aligns with my own) before I obey. 

It'a simply amazing how God sometimes chooses to use the most unlikely things to speak to me. Who'd have thought? All these lessons from (of all things! ) a genealogy! God is truly, truly amazing!

Reflecting On My Idols

Reflecting On My Idols

This morning my reading plan brought me to Leviticus 26; and Mark 2. 
The passage in Leviticus led me to realize that I had to 1) check my heart for idols, anything that I have placed before God, anything, any person that I´ve come to value, prioritize more than God. 2) it also described the rewards of obedience to God in this; 3) lastly, it also illustrates the penalties of disobedience.

"You shall not make for yourselves idols, nor shall you set up for yourselves an image or a sacred pillar, nor shall you place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it; for I am the Lord your God..." - Leviticus 26:1

The dictionary defines idols as:
- An image or representation of a god used as an object of worship.
- A person or thing that is greatly admired, loved, or revered:

As I reflected on this, I had to start asking myself, if there is anything or anyone getting in the way of, or taking my heart away from focusing on my God. Am I loving God with all my heart and soul and might or have I set aside tiny nooks of my heart and reserved them for myself and my idols thinking that it would be ok since most of my heart and soul and might are for God anyway? Then I remembered...:

"You shall love the Lord your God with "ALL" your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." - Deuteronomy 6:5

My QT plan for the past month involved reading one Psalm each day. Interestingly today I was at Psalm 49. This Psalm talks about the folly/futility of pursuing and trusting riches and taking pride in one´s own accomplishments.

"...Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich,
When the glory of his house is increased;
For when he dies he will carry nothing away;
His glory will not descend after him.
Though while he lives he congratulates himself—
And though men praise you when you do well for yourself—
He shall go to the generation of his fathers;
They will never see the light.
Man in his pomp, yet without understanding,
Is like the beasts that perish." - Psalm 49:16-20

Has the pursuit of riches, recognition, and reward taken up some small space in my heart-a heart that was meant to be for God alone? Have I foolishly been thinking, "I can take a little credit, deserve some reward or recognition, relish some praise for myself, save some riches for my own use, etc.?"

This brought me back full-circle to the passage in Leviticus 26, where it says:

"...If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out, then I shall give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit...I shall also grant peace in the land, so that you may lie down with no one making you tremble. I shall also eliminate harmful beasts from the land, and no sword will pass through your land. But you will chase your enemies and they will fall before you by the sword;...So I will turn toward you and make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will confirm My covenant with you...Moreover, I will make My dwelling among you, and My soul will not reject you. I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people..."- Leviticus 26: 6-12

There is nothing inherently wrong with riches, rewards or recognition. God Himself promises to generously give His people all of these (Matt. 6:33) on the condition that we love, obey and seek Him "FIRST" and not the other way around. Thinking that we will seek success, fame, riches and reward and glorify God with them is flawed thinking.

God is glorified when we love, obey and seek Him first and we are rewarded by Him with success and everything else that comes along with it because then people will see God and not the "idol" which is our own effort of pursuing success.

My God is the God of the Details and He Works WITH and THROUGH His Children

My QT this morning was Exodus Chapters 25-26. As I read it I found nothing significant at first. In fact, it was more like an instruction manual on how to build the ark, the tables, lampstands and curtains in the tabernacle. I read it again. And again.

Finally, after reading it over several times, I saw what God was reminding me of. In the second verse God says:

2 “Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise My contribution."

It struck me. Why did God, the Lord and creator of the universe, owner of all the resources in the world need a contribution from the Israelites? It hit me. God did not want to just build / create these things FOR them. He wanted to build it WITH them. It was something that God would do together WITH His people. God didn´t really need them to build these things for Him. They needed God to allow them, invite them to build these things with Him for them to grow in their faith and knowledge of God. For them to see and experience their Father´s love in a more intimate way. 

What a lesson in leadership! A participative management / collaborative leadership case study from the past! Amazing! 

Interestingly, God does not "require" them to participate. In fact He says "from every man whose heart moves him." This reminds me of the episode in Chapter 4 where He uses the staff that Moses threw to the ground and miraculously turned it into a snake. God is more than able to use what we have and what we are willing to surrender to Him for His glory. 

How many times has God invited me to do things, build things, accomplish things WITH Him and I turned the invitation down because I was deceived into thinking that what I had (time, talents, treasure, etc.) can´t possibly be used by God?  How many miracles and wonders have I missed out on because of this?

Secondly, as I read through the rest of the chapter, I noticed the amazing detail in the instructions God was giving. Through this I was reminded that God is in the details. His plans for us were made taking into account every detail. God knows every thing that is going on in our lives down to the last detail. In Matthew 10:29-30 it says:
"²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a ^[y]cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.³¹ So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."

The question for us is: Is God my God in the details or have I made Him to be just my God in the big, grand, strategic, broad areas of my life? How much pain, worry and anxiety could I have spared myself from if only I acknowledged Him as God in both the broad plans and details of my life?

I need to stop, to cease striving and let God be my God and my Father...even in the details! :)

God's Fatherly Love, Grace and Patient Restoration

God loves us with the kind of love that never fails (1 Corinthians 13:7 "Love never fails...") and never gives up. Its an EVERLASTING love just as the verse below says. I couldn't help but notice how the word "AGAIN" clearly emphasizes just how EVERLASTING His love is. There are times when WE move away from God, disobey Him, make a mess of things (our life) and destroy what He was building in and through us. Yet He chooses to deal with us patiently and kindly (1 Corinthians 13:4 " Love is patient. Love is kind...") and out of love for us calls us back. He relentlessly draws us back to Him and AGAIN rebuilds, restores and renews us.

(Jeremiah 31:3-5) "The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, “I HAVE LOVED YOU WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE; Therefore I HAVE DRAWN YOU WITH LOVINGKINDNESS. “AGAIN I will build you and you will be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! AGAIN you will take up your tambourines, And go forth to the dances of the merrymakers. “AGAIN you will plant vineyards On the hills of Samaria; The planters will plant And will enjoy them."

The process of restoration and renewal although good is not always painless. Much like a caterpillar undergoing metamorphosis trying to BREAK FREE of the old and ugly cocoon that traps its beauty. This is often exactly what its like when we decide to repent and ask God to renew and restore us. It will involve destroying old and dearly loved destructive habits, veering away from cherished bad company and facing up to our own faults and helplessness to name a few. This is where the "weeping" is as we come back to the Lord. The encouragement is that although weeping, He is with us leading us and as we walk with Him on the path of restoration He provides (streams of water) all we will need to see it through and eventually walk without stumbling.

(Jeremiah 31:9) “With WEEPING THEY WILL COME, And by supplication I WILL LEAD THEM; I will MAKE THEM WALK BY STREAMS OF WATERS, ON A STRAIGHT PATH in which THEY WILL NOT STUMBLE; For I am a father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn.”

I used to think that restoration was my responsibility. That I had to "fix" myself first before I could go back to God. Thinking that I would deal with my old sinful nature first on my own and then return to God. The TRUTH that I've come to realize is that I can't and don't have the strength to "fix" myself and deal with my old sinful nature. Restoration comes from God. Acknowledging we can't do it/fix it on our own and asking for Him to draw us back is the beginning of the process of restoration. God is just waiting patiently and YEARNING for us to accept this. In fact, in the verse below it says: "I certainly still remember Him..My heart YEARNS for him.

(Jeremiah 31:18-20) “I have surely heard Ephraim grieving, ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised, Like an untrained calf; BRING ME BACK THAT I MAY BE RESTORED FOR YOU ARE THE LORD MY GOD, ‘For after I turned back, I repented; And after I was instructed, I smote on my thigh; I was ashamed and also humiliated Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’ “Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a delightful child? Indeed, AS OFTEN AS I HAVE SPOKEN AGAINST HIM, I certainly STILL REMEMBER HIM; Therefore MY HEART YEARNS FOR HIM; I WILL surely HAVE MERCY ON HIM,” declares the LORD."

If you are reading this now, perhaps God is calling you back to Him. He misses you like a father misses his own son that went away. He is waiting, yearning for you to come back. His mercy and grace are just waiting to be poured out on you to cover you just like the new robe covered the prodigal son when he returned home to his father. The ring which is a symbol of your "sonship" is waiting to be put back on your finger. The sandals waiting to be put back on your feet. A roasted calf and the best wine is waiting to be served in celebration for your return. The best part of it all is that you don't have to RUN ALL THE WAY BACK HOME ON YOUR OWN. All you need to do is decide to turn back and God Himself will run to you and meet you just as the father ran toward his son when the son decided to come back home.

(Luke 15:20) "So he got up and came to his father, BUT WHILE HE WAS STILL A LONG WAY OFF, HIS FATHER FELT COMPASSION FOR HIM, AND RAN AND EMBRACED HIM AND KISSED HIM."

So what are you waiting for? If you feel that God is calling you back, then return. Wherever you are right now, in the silence of your heart pray and ask God something like this : "Heavenly Father, I know I have sinned against You, that my sin separates me from You and there is nothing I can do on my own to be worthy of Your forgiveness. I am truly sorry. I now turn away from my sinful past and turn to You for forgiveness. Please forgive me. I believe that Your son Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for the penalty of my sins, that He was raised from the dead and is now at Your right hand with all authority. I invite Jesus into my heart to become my Lord and Savior, to rule and reign in my life from this day forward. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

The Sovereignty of God and of Earthly Authority

God is sovereign. He is enthroned in heaven and the earth is His footstool (Isaiah 66:1; Matthew 5:35; Acts 7:49). He made everyone and everything. Everything He has made was made by Him to accomplish His purpose and His plans. He is in control and we can rest assured that His plans are for the good of those who have chosen to walk in His ways and in a manner pleasing to Him.

(Jeremiah 27:5) “I have made the earth, the men and the beasts which are on the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I will give it to the one who is pleasing in My sight."

Its such an overwhelming comfort to know that God's plans for us are for our own welfare. What's even more amazing is that these "good" plans are so good that they will always go beyond our finite concept of "goodness"(Ephesians 3:20-21Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen). Even more comforting and amazing is the fact that because He is sovereign, we are assured that He can bring these plans to completion.

(Jeremiah 29:11) "For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."

The verse above is perhaps one of the most quoted verses in the Bible largely because of the assurance of God's plan and the promise of welfare. It is one of my favorites. Little did I know that the verses following it holds an even greater promise than welfare and prosperity. The promise that God will listen to us and that we will find Him when we seek Him with all our heart. Its a humbling thought to think that the sovereign God and creator of the universe makes Himself available to us--waiting for us to call upon Him in truth.

(Psalm 145:18 )"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth")

(Jeremiah 29:12) "Then YOU WILL CALL upon ME and come and PRAY TO ME, and I WILL LISTEN TO YOU. YOU WILL SEEK ME AND FIND ME WHEN YOU SEARCH FOR ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART."

One of the ways we can manifest our trust in the sovereignty of God and faith that He is in control is by submitting to authority. This is a huge area of improvement for me, especially when I feel that I know better or that I am right and they are wrong. When this happens I need to humble myself and be reminded that GOD IS SOVEREIGN and that these same authorities were established by God Himself.

(Romans 13:1)"Every person is to be in subjection to governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God."

(Colossians 1:16). "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him."

(Titus 3:1-2) "Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men."

Mornings With My Shepherd

My morning runs are often a time for me to reflect. This morning as I was running I realized a few things that I would like to share with you.

We all experience difficult times in our lives. Oftentimes, these difficulties and adversity are brought about by our own wrong decisions, stubbornness, and largely resistance to doing what God is very clearly saying to us. I know this to be true for me.

In my reflections I was reminded of a story about how shepherds deal with their sheep. In any flock, there are sheep who out of not knowing any better or out of sheer stubbornness stray away from the herd. When this happens these sheep are exposed to danger, pain and at worst--death.

In the first few instances that the sheep strays, the shepherd uses his staff to reach out and draw the erring sheep back to the fold. That is why we often see a "crook / hook" at the end of the shepherd's wooden staff. This is used to hook the neck of the sheep and draw them back to the herd. I'm certain that for the sheep, this experience is by no means pleasurable. Imagine being pulled back from your neck ?!? The farther away the sheep has strayed, the longer it is that the sheep will experience the less than pleasurable, if not painful, experience of being pulled back to the herd with the use of the staff.

Sadly, sheep will be sheep. Especially stubborn (like me) sheep. Eventually, if the experience of the staff is not enough to convince the sheep from straying away from the shepherd, things escalate. The shepherd, out of love and concern for his precious sheep will do something drastic. In this case, the shepherd eventually has to break bones on the sheep's leg so that it can't stray away from him anymore. Now if the staff was painful, imagine how much more painful this is!

This is not only painful for the sheep but for the shepherd as well. Sheep are precious to the shepherd. Shepherds want their sheep to be perfect, unblemished, unscarred, undeformed. However, out of love for the sheep, the shepherd will sometimes have to resort to this method to keep them from straying away into danger and death. There are times when the broken bones heal and the sheep come out of the experience still whole. In most cases however, that sheep will walk away from the experience with a scar, a limp, etc. That scar or limp remains to remind the sheep of how much the shepherd loves him as well as to remind him not to stray away again.

Because of the broken bones the sheep cannot walk. As such, the sheep is carried by the shepherd over his shoulders until the bones heal and it is able to walk again. It is during this time of pain and healing, while on the shoulders of its shepherd, that the sheep gets close to its shepherd and is renewed and restored to health.

A lot of times in my life, I was that stubborn sheep. Many times God, My Shepherd, has used His staff to call and pull me back into the fold. But as sheep will be sheep so boys will be boys and in the stubbornness of my heart, I often refused and ignored His calls. Inevitably, He had to break my legs (figuratively). Not because He wants to hurt me purposely but because He loves me and wants to draw me back to Him, restore my intimacy with Him and draw me away from things, people and circumstances that are dangerous for me.

If we are experiencing hurt, pain, failure, disappointment, loss, loneliness, etc. right now could it be that we are straying from our Good and Loving Shepherd and He is calling us back? Could it be that we are doing something, holding on to something or to someone that is drawing us away from the Shepherd? If so, I pray that we won't wait for the "breaking" experience and heed the pull of our shepherd's staff.

On the other hand, if our legs, our bones have been figuratively broken by the Shepherd, I pray that we use the time to regain and restore our intimacy with Him and that by His grace we may heal completely.

Lastly, let us not forget that over two thousand years ago, a perfect unblemished lamb had to be broken too--on a rugged and cruel cross. He was broken not because He strayed but because it was the only way to bring the other sheep who strayed back into the arms of The Shepherd. He bore the pain and wears the scars of the thorns on His head and the nails on His hands and feet out of love. And one day, when we are brought into Heaven and our physical bodies are glorified and perfected, we will still see Him wearing those scars as a reminder of how much He loves us and what lengths He would go through to bring us back to Him.

Reflections on 2 Kings 6:24-32; 7:1-10 The King and The Four Lepers

As I was chewing through these passages, two things started to stand out for me. God reminded me of two things:

1. STOP LOOKING AT YOUR OWN CIRCUMSTANCES, LOOK TO ME INSTEAD! I really don't know why but all throughout my reading of this book, this lesson just keeps popping out and hitting me.

a. The Kings Response ( v.18-23)

God had just performed a mighty miracle by striking the Aramean army blind through Elisha. Yet, it seems the king had forgotten this. As they were being besieged again by the king of Aram, he saw the desperate plight of his people and his inability to save them. I would think that given the fact that he had just experienced God’s deliverance, he should not have been in despair. Unfortunately, he focused on the circumstances surrounding him and then looked at himself. Is there anything wrong at looking at or assessing the situations or the circumstances around us? Of course not; however, it’s the response after the assessment where faith is truly tested. The king was driven to despair. His heart was hardened as shown when he says through his messenger in verse 33: “This disaster is from the Lord. WHY SHOULD I WAIT FOR THE LORD ANY LONGER?” His response was to have Elisha put to death.

b. The Lepers Response (Chapter 7:8)

I am again amazed at the contrast God uses to make a point in this passage. From a high and mighty king housed in a palace and dressed in fine robes to four lepers, homeless, helpless, cast-out, most likely dressed in tattered sackcloth. The great thing here is that God reveals to us that the contrast between these two people is just on the outside. For in chapter 6:30 as the king tore his robes in despair we find him dressed in sackcloth as well under his robes. There was no difference between the heart condition of the king and the lepers.

The king had one response—that is to blame God and vent his anger on Elisha. The lepers had a more complicated response. In their desperation they just decided to “give it all up” chapter 7:4 gives us a picture of just how desperate their situation was. I find it hard to relate to the king. I was never born rich or privileged in this life and as such cannot fathom the king’s despair. But God bless the lepers! I am humbled and reminded of how God delivered me from my own situation not too long ago (and maybe to a certain extent—even now).

2. REMEMBER THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN.

a. The king , in his desperation, was driven to pride and lashed out in anger at God by intending to have Elisha killed. Why pride? I think it was because he felt “entitled”. He felt that he didn’t deserve to be besieged. Again, I am reminded of the times when I react almost like him, asking God “Why? Why are you allowing this to happen to me? Have I not accepted Jesus as my savior? Am I not one of your sons?” Then I remember what Jesus went through and I am all at once sobered and humbled. God shows His sovereignty by having Elisha boldly tell the king of what He is about to do and He does it in Chapter 7:16. He did not deserve this for his intentions were evil, yet God delivered him and the Israelites from the siege. Grace.

b. The lepers, in the midst of their own desperation were shown God’s power and grace. They found the Aramean camp empty and were able to eat and drink and get clothes and silver, etc. I would think that given this blessing they would have responded in thanks to God. But instead, they intended evil as shown in Chapter 7:8 (“Then they took silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also.”) But even here, God shows His sovereignty by changing their hearts and causing them to report this to the palace.

In both these instances, God shows grace, sovereignty and power. He reminds me that He can use even the darkest and most dire of situations, the evil in the heart of both kings and men, even these He can use TO BRING ABOUT THE FULFILLMENT OF HIS PLANS. I’m reminded of Proverbs 21:1 “The heart of a king is like channels of water in the hands of the Lord. He turns it wherever He wishes.”

Brother/Sister in Christ as I am encouraged by this passage, I encourage you as well. If you are facing a difficult situation right now, if there are people who are intent on doing you harm, remember that the God you serve is a SOVEREIGN GOD! Call out to Him. He will answer you. He is your help, your protector, your watcher, your deliverer… (Psalm 121). Call out to Him. Do not make the same mistake I often make, looking at my own capabilities, looking to my own strength. Call out to Him and witness His sovereignty and power displayed and experience His GRACE.

2 Kings 6:8-18 Checking The Eyes of Our Heart

Elisha Traps Blinded Arameans

⁸ Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”

⁹ The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” ¹⁰ So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.

¹¹ This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”

¹² “None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”

¹³ “Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” ¹⁴ Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

¹⁵ When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.

¹⁶ “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

¹⁸ As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.

Reflections on 2 Kings 6:8-17 Checking the Eyes of My Own Heart

Ever had days when your morning starts out right all fired up for God then a barrage of bad news hits you non-stop the rest of the day? This was pretty much the day I had yesterday. Late afternoon, I tried to find comfort by listening bringing up my old playlists, songs, videos and eventually looking up old poems (Neruda, Frost, Stevenson, etc). They just got me to dwell more on my circumstances and made me even more desperate. Weary, I turned to the Psalms last night as I was about to go to bed. I was led back to Psalm 73. I found Asaph lamenting about his own situation and was strangely comforted knowing that even great men of God (Asaph) also went "through" something similar. In the end admitting and declaring that even if his heart and flesh fail, the strength of his heart and portion was God.

This morning in my quiet time, as I continued in my reading of 2 Kings, I came across this passage in Chapter 6:8-17. Elisha was with his servant and they were hunted down and surrounded by the King of Aram (v.13-14). Interestingly, I looked at my day yesterday and began to see the parallel. As one bad thing happens after another, its easy to feel as if we are being hunted down, targeted, surrounded, etc. In verse 15, Elisha’s servant comes out and sees them surrounded by an army of horses and chariots. At this point, the servant cries out “Oh, no my Lord. What shall we do?”. I praise God for the servant’s response. For here, I find myself convicted. I realized that yesterday, in the midst of what I was experiencing I failed to respond humbly by asking my Lord, “what would you have me do, Lord?” Instead, I found myself shooting from the hip, relying on my own strength and my limited wisdom and understanding to “handle” the situations I faced. Sadly, my strength, wisdom and understanding for whatever they’re worth, will never be enough. As such, I found the eyes of my heart and my thoughts focused on my surroundings, my circumstances, my troubles—the chariots and horses around me (v.15).

What I find so amazing in this passage is the contrast between the servant’s reaction and Elisha’s reaction. Elisha steps out and very calmly says to the servant “Do not be afraid, those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” I can just imagine how the servant must have felt about his master at that time. He must have been saying to himself : “Uh-oh, now we’re really doomed my master has gone nuts and is seeing things that are not there!” I realize again the parallel in our lives today, when people around see us faced with impossible situations and in obedience and faith we claim God’s promises and rely on His power and faithfulness, people will think “we are crazy”. I dare to think that this is part of God’s design. For only in this manner will others see Him and know His power to deliver those who believe.

Elisha must have realized this and begins to pray for his servant’s eyes to be opened. Then the Lord opened the eyes of the servant and the servant looked and saw the hills filled with horses and chariots of fire. Amazing! The passage continues in v.18-23, with Elisha praying and God striking down the enemy army and a feast ensuing as a result of the victory.

As a Christian, it gives me amazing comfort and peace to be reminded that my God’s resources (His word, His promises, His whole army!) are always there for me to call on should I ever need it. All I need do is “open the eyes of my heart” by intently reading His word to get attuned to His will and get to know Him. Then and only then will I be able to see and experience the immense presence and power of the God that I serve.

My prayer is that as Christians about to start this day that He has given us, we declare by faith that this and all the days of the rest of our earthly lives are days "that He has made". That nothing shall happen to us apart from His sovereign will and perfect plan. That the eyes of our hearts be opened so that we may see His will for us today as He speaks through His word (the Bible) and in so doing experience His faithfulness and power!

On Faith and Miracles (2 Kings 4:1-7)

The Widow’s Olive Oil

¹ The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”

² Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”

“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”

³ Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.⁴ Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”

⁵ She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. ⁶ When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”

But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.

⁷ She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

My Reflections on 2:Kings 4:1-7

2 Kings 4:1-7 Faith and Miracles: True faith is the key to experiencing miracles. Faith like that of the widow in this passage.
v.1 Brokenness,despair and faith. The widow first had to come to a point of brokenness. She had to be broken for her to realize that she needed a miracle from God to save her from her troubles. This is one of the things led her to seek Elisha and ask for a miracle. Interestingly, another factor that led her to seek Elisha was the faithfulness of her now dead husband as she mentions in the verse that "your servant (my husband) feared the Lord. This shows me that when people see us living out our faith it helps point them to the source of our faith.

v.2 Humility and Acceptance of our own limitations. Elisha asked the widow "What do you have in the house?" To which the widow replies,"I have nothing but a jar of oil." This for me illustrates the widows humble acceptance of her own inability. Much in the same way that in order for us to experience God's saving grace, we must first come to accept our own inability to pay the price of our sins and accept that it is only through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the cross that we come to salvation. (Ephesians 2:8-9 " For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.")

v.3-7 Acting, Obeying based on Faith. Elisha asked the widow to go and borrow several vessels from her neighbors. This must have seemed strange to the widow. She must have even been ridiculed by her neighbors for borrowing vessels when they knew she had nothing to fill them with. BUT THE WIDOW obeyed. This reminds me of what is said in Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
God through Elisha could have simply just filled out the one jar of oil that the widow had. However, to demonstrate His power and to reward the faith of the widow he filled several vessels. More than enough for the widow to pay off her debts and live out her life with her children. Which also reminds me of Ephesians 3:20-21 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

My prayer is that if like me, there are current situations in your life where you find yourself broken, or helpless, or out of options or at your rock bottom, we respond in the same way the widow did. And in doing so, receive our miracle and experience God's faithfulness and power and know that God is real, true and LIVING God who is able to deliver those that faithfully depend and call on Him. May we experience Him just like the widow did in 2 Kings 4:7 and as promised in Ephesians 3:20