Simple Trust
Scripture: 2 Kings 7:14-20
"So two chariots with horses were prepared, and the king sent scouts to see what had happened to the Aramean army. 15 They went all the way to the Jordan River, following a trail of clothing and equipment that the Arameans had thrown away in their mad rush to escape. The scouts returned and told the king about it. 16 Then the people of Samaria rushed out and plundered the Aramean camp. So it was true that five quarts of choice flour were sold that day for one piece of silver, and ten quarts of barley grain were sold for one piece of silver, just as the Lord had promised. 17 The king appointed his officer to control the traffic at the gate, but he was knocked down and trampled to death as the people rushed out. So everything happened exactly as the man of God had predicted when the king came to his house. 18 The man of God had said to the king, "By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, five quarts of choice flour will cost one piece of silver, and ten quarts of barley grain will cost one piece of silver." 19 The king's officer had replied, "That couldn't happen even if the Lord opened the windows of heaven!" And the man of God had said, "You will see it happen with your own eyes, but you won't be able to eat any of it!" 20 And so it was, for the people trampled him to death at the gate!"
This is one of the coolest stories in the entire Bible. The Aramean army has surrounded Jerusalem and cut off their food supply. God's people are starving to death and have no way out. Outside the city gates are four lepers who are also starving to death and have no contact with normal society. They decide to go out and surrender themselves to the Arameans since they are going to die anyway, only to discover that God had already scared them all away! (On a side note, at the time God's people were actually being punished for their sins and refusal to comply with God's Law, yet in His mercy He still decided to save them!)
So the lepers rush out and gather all the food and supplies left by the invaders and then inform the king that God has rescued them and to come join them. Soon all the people make a mad rush past the gates, trampling the king's officer to death in the process, and grab all the loot they can. Ironically, the one individual who saw the miracle but didn't get to participate was the one person who scoffed at Elisha's prediction that God would soon come to the rescue. Not only did he miss out on God's provision, he was literally trampled to death by a hungry mob!
Thankfully, God is full of mercy towards us. Even when we don't deserve a break He still sees fit to help us when we cannot help ourselves, even when we were the ones who created the mess in the first place. But not everyone experiences God's help. There are those people who for whatever reason won't believe even if God literally spoke to them.
Consequently, although God could just be merciful to those people too, often times He does nothing for them. In the same way Jesus "couldn't do many miracles" in Nazareth because they didn't believe, sometimes we limit what God is willing to do for us simply because we don't trust Him. We usually either try and do it ourselves or are just flat skeptical about His timing, ability, willingness, or all of the above. But God has no problem with the supernatural. He is absolutely able and willing to help those who will simply trust Him. A lack of faith can be quickly fixed by our simple choice to believe that God is who He said He is and can and will do what He said He will do.
Father, we choose this day to put our trust in Your ability to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Thank You for always being gracious and for giving us what we do not deserve and for not giving us what we do deserve. Amen.
"So two chariots with horses were prepared, and the king sent scouts to see what had happened to the Aramean army. 15 They went all the way to the Jordan River, following a trail of clothing and equipment that the Arameans had thrown away in their mad rush to escape. The scouts returned and told the king about it. 16 Then the people of Samaria rushed out and plundered the Aramean camp. So it was true that five quarts of choice flour were sold that day for one piece of silver, and ten quarts of barley grain were sold for one piece of silver, just as the Lord had promised. 17 The king appointed his officer to control the traffic at the gate, but he was knocked down and trampled to death as the people rushed out. So everything happened exactly as the man of God had predicted when the king came to his house. 18 The man of God had said to the king, "By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, five quarts of choice flour will cost one piece of silver, and ten quarts of barley grain will cost one piece of silver." 19 The king's officer had replied, "That couldn't happen even if the Lord opened the windows of heaven!" And the man of God had said, "You will see it happen with your own eyes, but you won't be able to eat any of it!" 20 And so it was, for the people trampled him to death at the gate!"
This is one of the coolest stories in the entire Bible. The Aramean army has surrounded Jerusalem and cut off their food supply. God's people are starving to death and have no way out. Outside the city gates are four lepers who are also starving to death and have no contact with normal society. They decide to go out and surrender themselves to the Arameans since they are going to die anyway, only to discover that God had already scared them all away! (On a side note, at the time God's people were actually being punished for their sins and refusal to comply with God's Law, yet in His mercy He still decided to save them!)
So the lepers rush out and gather all the food and supplies left by the invaders and then inform the king that God has rescued them and to come join them. Soon all the people make a mad rush past the gates, trampling the king's officer to death in the process, and grab all the loot they can. Ironically, the one individual who saw the miracle but didn't get to participate was the one person who scoffed at Elisha's prediction that God would soon come to the rescue. Not only did he miss out on God's provision, he was literally trampled to death by a hungry mob!
Thankfully, God is full of mercy towards us. Even when we don't deserve a break He still sees fit to help us when we cannot help ourselves, even when we were the ones who created the mess in the first place. But not everyone experiences God's help. There are those people who for whatever reason won't believe even if God literally spoke to them.
Consequently, although God could just be merciful to those people too, often times He does nothing for them. In the same way Jesus "couldn't do many miracles" in Nazareth because they didn't believe, sometimes we limit what God is willing to do for us simply because we don't trust Him. We usually either try and do it ourselves or are just flat skeptical about His timing, ability, willingness, or all of the above. But God has no problem with the supernatural. He is absolutely able and willing to help those who will simply trust Him. A lack of faith can be quickly fixed by our simple choice to believe that God is who He said He is and can and will do what He said He will do.
Father, we choose this day to put our trust in Your ability to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Thank You for always being gracious and for giving us what we do not deserve and for not giving us what we do deserve. Amen.
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