Thursday Devotional - Faithful God through a Bold Prophet (3/2/23)

Word of the King of Aram’s letter must have travelled fast! Somehow Elisha knew about it before Naaman left the king of Israel!  

II Kings 5:7-10    ⁷ As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”

⁸ When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” ⁹ So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. ¹⁰ Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

This was a bold move by Elisha, as the King of Israel was probably Jehoram, the son of wicked king Ahab. Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, had tried several times to kill Elijah (Elisha’s predecessor).

Elisha had compassion for this foreigner, though, and cared about Naaman’s spiritual and physical wellbeing. He also, and maybe most importantly, cared about God’s name and reputation. When Elisha said “Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel,” I don’t think he was pridefully talking about himself. I think he was saying the God of Israel is the true and living God that is still actively working through His servants.

Like Elisha, when have you and I boldly stood for God’s reputation? Where might He want to use you and me to boldly stand today for who He is and what He has and can do?

Alice

Thurs Devo: Faithful and True

Would Jesus say you and I are faithful and true to Him? He said that about the Pergamum church.

Revelation 2:12-13    ¹² “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. ¹³ I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.

Do we openly identify ourselves as a child of God? What if we knew we would be killed if we said we were a Christian? Antipas was supposedly burned for refusing to renounce his faith. Jesus called him His faithful witness for living a consistent faithful life in the face of satanic evil.

Similar situations happen today. The gunman in Oregon reportedly asked his classmates if they were a Christian and asked the Christians to stand up. Then he shot them and continued down the line. Would you and I boldly claim to be Christians after seeing what happened to the first victim?

Antipas and the Christian victims in Oregon are safe in God’s arms now. Nothing will ever harm them again. Jesus has eternal rewards for His faithful and true followers! That's something we can cling to, no matter what happens! 

Alice