God Speaks
The End of Ahaziah’s Reign; the End of Elijah’s Ministry and the Beginning of Elisha’s
Verse of the Day: [When the people of God are blessed or assisted by others, we should ask as Elisha did,] ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf [to the LORD,] to the king or the commander of the army?’ (2 Kings 4:13 NIV 2011)
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Watch TBR Day 183
We Respond
Reflection
Consider the following questions regarding 2 Kings 1-4
> 1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
> 2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
2 Kings 1
1. The LORD (YHWH) is the only true God people should consult.
2. People are to show proper awe and respect for God and His servants the prophets; if not, there will be severe consequences.
2 Kings 2
1. God knows how to honor His servants by taking them into His presence as He did Elijah.
2. People need to be persistent and faithful servants, like Elisha, if they expect blessings from God. [However, good works do not earn us salvation in Christ or favor with God; they should be done only out of love and gratitude for His mercy and grace.]
2 Kings 3
1. God will give battle strategies to those who trust and obey Him, not relying on themselves or wicked practices.
2. Wicked people fall back on wicked practices when under pressure.
2 Kings 4
1. God provides for widows and orphans, rewards hospitality, raises the dead, prevents illness, and feeds crowds as He chooses.
2. People who trust and obey God can expect to see their needs met in unusual ways and their blessings multiplied.
Prayer
> 3. How might I pray regarding 2 Kings 1-4?
O LORD, You are YHWH, the One and only God, Creator of the Universe, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You are the only one I should turn to for counsel and support. At the very least, You should be the first one to whom I turn. I honor, revere and respect You; help me to learn to properly fear You. Help me to also properly respect my spiritual (and civic) leaders. May Your chosen spiritual leaders practice coming into Your presence and demonstrate for those in their sphere of influence how to do so as well. May I (and other Christ-followers) be faithful and persistent servants of Jesus. Please give Your warriors strategies to rescue people of all ages from the clutches of the evil one. Keep us from falling back to old sin habits when under the stress of battle. Equip Your saints to care for widows and orphans, practice hospitality, raise the dead, cure illnesses and heal maladies, and feed crowds. Please enable people who trust and obey You, LORD God, to see their needs met in unusual ways and their blessings multiplied. When these miraculous things happen, You will receive the glory, LORD. AMEN
Action
(Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
> 4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to 2 Kings 1-4?
With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will show respect to God and His servants by consulting them first when I face a problem.
- I will seek to learn from the wisdom and skills of a godly mentor or role model.
- I will pray for God to show me His strategy for my next “battle.”
- I will examine what I have that I can use to bless others.
Share
I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.