Week of June 22

Corrie ten Boom, the tiny woman of towering faith who survived the Nazi Holocaust, once said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” This is one of several important spiritual principles we find in 2 Kings 6. The point is that God will deliver His people through whom He chooses and through whatever circumstances they face. Let’s learn from Elisha’s narrative about the ways God will also deliver us.

When Elijah, the great prophet, exited to heaven (2 Kings 2:11), Elisha was appointed to fill the position. Elisha then performs a series of miracles as signs that he is the perfect “master” in these situations (NAC). He multiplies oil (4:1-7), cures a deadly stew (4:38-41), and then feeds one hundred (4:42-44; cf. John 6:1-15). Our focal chapter demonstrates the care of God, through His prophet, both for the few who have a minor need (6:1-7) and the many with major needs (6:8-23). Elisha, therefore, represents a “type” of the future messiah, in my view, meaning that he shows us the pattern that will be later followed to provide redemption.

Know that your needs are important to God. We all face difficulties in life, both small and large, and I fear that many of us are guilty of not depending upon the Lord for even the smallest of “daily needs” (cf. Matthew 6:11). Elisha’s band of prophets had grown and, as a result, found themselves in need of lodging. They enter a building program! Theirs was a community where they lived together, ate together, and worked together, all the while maintaining separate family lives (cf. Wilson, Prophecy and Society, 140-41 as quoted in NAC). During the building project, one of the student prophets lost an ax head in the Jordan River, which was costly to a dirt-poor prophet and economically crippling. Elisha removes the certain debt by causing the ax-head to float (6:6-7; cf. Matthew 17:24-27). We obviously do not live with a school of poor prophets, but we do face simple daily challenges that our Lord wishes to help us overcome. The young prophet participated in the miracle by trusting and obeying! The lesson? God cares and will provide for your needs.

Listen and follow God’s word. Elisha, as God’s faithful representative, becomes the person through whom Israel is delivered from outside attack. The Aramean “fly on the wall,” as we would say, who knew and reported all their plans, was Elisha, even though he was in none of their meetings (6:8-9). God, by divine revelation, makes the evil plans of Israel’s enemy known entirely to Elisha. God is shown to be the deliverer, as is often the case in the Old Testament. Elisha offers himself as “bait” to entrap the Arameans in their attempt to attack and plunder Israel (6:15). Even Elisha’s servant was doubtful, but the prophet himself never doubted the Lord or His ability to save (6:17). Each one of us, in the way alone God determines, will be “light” in darkness (Matthew 5:16). The lesson? Trust God and watch Him deliver.

Embody God’s virtues in your attitudes and actions. Elisha shows God’s mercy rather than destroying the wicked enemy that was bent upon perpetrating evil on Israel (6:21-23). This was God’s designed remedy to the ills that plagued the nation of Israel. Instead of annihilating their enemy, they fed them a sumptuous feast and sent them home in a gesture of peace. Once the Arameans returned home and reported how they had been treated, the guerilla raids ceased. Peace came by prayer through divine intervention. Got it? God can intervene and bring conflict to an end when we return good for evil (cf. Matthew 5:38-41).

Shawna, my wife, and I learned about God’s provision early in our ministry years. We were living below the poverty level; in fact, we were down to what I would later refer to as “the last supper.” All that we had to our name was some sausage and rice, which we ate and subsequently became ill! We sat totally humbled by our circumstances and simply prayed, “God, please help.” Not too many minutes later we recalled that we had been tossing pennies, nickels, and other spare change into a box beneath our bed for quite a few months. We retrieved the box, saw that it was full of coins, and took that to a bank. The total came to just over $26! Our “floating ax-head” was beneath the bed! Do you have a similar testimony?

My center colleagues, John and Karen Bullock, and many of our global partners, have walked similar paths. I imagine that you also have a witness about God’s daily provision. Our Mary’s Table® ministry at the Baptist Center for Global Concerns deeply impacts us as we serve the women with whom we share food at the table. The dishes we prepare and then eat together illustrate God’s simple provision for daily needs. The week’s supply of groceries symbolizes a “floating ax-head,” as well. 

Here is the spiritual lesson for today: God fed Shawna and me that week, and He taught us a key lesson about trust (cf. 4:1-7). Don’t sink in the waters of your troubles; instead, watch God’s provision float to the surface! Call out to Him and trust Him. Corrie ten Boom once said, “If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. If you look at God, you’ll be at rest.”

1. To whom are you turning when faced with your daily struggles? The world? Your inner resources? The Lord? Find your rest from distress in the Lord.

2. Big troubles for Christian nations are resolved, at times, through calm diplomacy and mercy. God’s blessings fall upon the peacemakers. Pray daily for global peace and for our nation to lead in offering the hand of mercy.

3. For Families: Sometimes the best way to help our children learn to trust in God is simply to get on our knees with them and pray that God will supply the need, whatever it is.

Parents, we often jump in and make things happen for our kids, don’t we? A better way may be to teach them to ask God for help, and then model how we wait to see how God answers prayer. When we do this, God’s answer, when it comes, is astounding and life-changing! God works, He gets the glory, and our kids learn life lessons about trusting the One who knows and loves them best. Try this out this week and see how God answers prayer in your children’s lives.

May your paths be straight,
Larry C. Ashlock