2 Kings 1-4
In Second Kings chapter 4 we find the account of four miracles. These miracles impacted people in big ways and in small ways. The first miracle is of replenishing oil that a woman used to sell and pay off debts and live on the remainder. The second miracle is the healing of the Shunammite’s son. The third miracle is the poison removal from a bad stew. The fourth miracle is the feeding of a hundred people with an amount of food that does not seem sufficient. Where each of these miracles is different from the others, I see from the four miracles combined how God provides for His people in their times of need and typically in ways that seem unexpected.
Some of these miracles may sound familiar to other miraculous events. The replenishing oil reminds me of the widow of Zarephath in First Kings 17, whose oil and flour did not run out throughout an extended famine. The healing of the Shunammite son reminds me of the healing of the son of the widow of Nain in Luke 7. The feeding of the hundred reminds me of the feeding of the 5,000 in Matthew 14. Each of these miracles is similar to other times in the Bible in which God provided miraculously. However, I’m stumped to find another account quite like the poisonous stew. The closest I can come up with is the water to wine from John 2. However, that miracle does not change the undrinkable to the drinkable.
Therefore, I’d love to consider this miracle of the poisonous stew for a moment and consider a couple things we can learn from it. One that may go without saying is the public service announcement to not eat unfamiliar items we scavenge from outside. There are many healthy food products in nature, but there are some that are inedible or even poisonous. Unless we are certain of their edibility, we should stay away from mushrooms, berries, seeds, and plants.
A spiritual lesson to consider is the lesson of dependence on God and His provision in ways we might not expect. Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”. There are times God provides a miracle that would seem to align with what we are most hoping. I think of a mass or tumor found which miraculously shrinks in size. However, there are also times in which God provides the miraculous when things do not align with what we are most hoping. I think of a person who dies, but their spouse, in their mourning, responds with honor and dignity, pointing people to the God who gives strength, peace, and salvation. This can be truly miraculous. It is God providing far beyond the strength or understanding of a person. God’s provision is so personal and so specific. He meets our needs in ways that go beyond our understanding, even when it is not the outcome we want or expect. This is why our proactive approach to life ought to be to trust in the LORD with all our hearts!
It is a blessing that God reveals in the Bible how He consistently works personally in the lives of His people. He even uses the often-forgotten miracles like restored poisonous stew to show His graciousness to us personally. He is a God we can trust!
-Michael Cisler
Reflection Questions
What are some of the ways you have seen God work in your life?
What is a way in which you have experienced a miracle?
How are you trusting God today?
What is something you can trust God with today?
Seek Grow Love 