-devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)
Today we start a week with so many inspiring scriptures to read and meditate on. The first section today is from 2 Kings 4 where the familiar story of Elisha and the olive oil is recorded. Elisha is speaking for God and asks the widow “What can I do to help you?” The theme of the week of readings is our God who is always asking us that question. The Good News is that God is also willing and powerful to help us in every way if we put our trust and faith in Him. What He has done for us is to redeem us, sanctify us, reconcile us, and give meaning and purpose to our walk with Him in our lives. Reading from our section of Kings today:
2 Kings 4:2-7(NLT) “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked.
“Tell me, what do you have in the house?”“Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied.
3 And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. 4 Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.”
5 So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. 6 Soon every container was full to the brim!
“Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons.
“There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing.
7 When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, “Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over.”
If you combine Basil, Parmesan, Pinenuts and Olive Oil you get Pesto. What do you get when you mix Olive Oil, Spinach and Sweet Peas? You get the cartoon classic Popeye.
Oh well it was a good try. But you know why Our God is so strong? He is strong to the finish!! (famous quote).
The story of Elisha and his walk with twice the spiritual power of Elijah is such an important record for us to read and appreciate. All through these chapters of Kings we see God giving people the things that are needed, continually rewarding faithful followers with what is important in their lives. Elisha walks and talks with God daily and has the voice of God in his spiritual ear all the time.
Can we hear words of knowledge and wisdom from God today like Elisha did?
If we believe that this is true, why do we doubt God’s presence so often?
2 Kings 4:13-17(NLT) Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tell her, ‘We appreciate the kind concern you have shown us. What can we do for you? Can we put in a good word for you to the king or to the commander of the army?’”“No,” she replied, “my family takes good care of me.”14 Later Elisha asked Gehazi, “What can we do for her?”Gehazi replied, “She doesn’t have a son, and her husband is an old man.”15 “Call her back again,” Elisha told him. When the woman returned, Elisha said to her as she stood in the doorway, 16 “Next year at this time you will be holding a son in your arms!”“No, my lord!” she cried. “O man of God, don’t deceive me and get my hopes up like that.”17 But sure enough, the woman soon became pregnant. And at that time the following year she had a son, just as Elisha had said.
Once again, the question “what can God do for her?” And then we read how Elisha raises the child from the dead in a most thrilling story of deliverance. Wow!
How do we change our perspective to “what can we do for others?” in our walks?
How do you think that would affect our lives and ministries?
Now let’s look at what Paul writes in 2 Corinthians where he is working to help their church to become united, strong, and productive. They were divided in their church body, and were accepting and promoting wrong teaching in many areas of Christian living and worship. The books of 1-2 Corinthians are reproof and correction to help them (and us) to get back to the correct path of righteous living, believing and actions.
2 Corinthians 3:1-6(NLT) Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not! 2 The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. 3 Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.
4 We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. 5 It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. 6 He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.
Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles who should be the most exalted and powerful leader of the early church, especially amongst the Gentiles. Instead, he comes to the Corinthians showing them that the attitude of leadership and service in the church body is one of true humility and deliverance. All leadership is based on trust in God and Jesus Christ. He is the example of what true humility is, for Christian living and leadership for them and for us.
2 Corinthians 3:12-18(NLT) Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. 14 But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. 15 Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.
16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
The more that we read, study and meditate on the Word, and follow the examples of Christ and all the leaders that are recorded in the Bible, the more we will become like Christ. The walk of fellowship with the Father and His Son will be reflected in our faces and from our lives. I am sure that you have seen this from believers that you fellowship with.
REflection Questions:
Why is the veil of uncertainty done away with when we follow Christ?
What can we do daily to improve our walks of believing in spiritual power?
PRAYER:
Father God, we look to You today and are thankful for all that you do in every way in our lives. You have saved us, built us up and sustained us through the challenges of life. Father, we look to you to talk to us and give us the confidence to do what You ask us to do. We are weak in ourselves but strong with Christ in us. Thank you for being part of all we do. Give us your help today. In Jesus’ name we pray.
Seek Grow Love 