The Daily Dose

All is not lost

 And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed a certain officer for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, and all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left the land until now.”

Have you ever had something in your life that you thought was gone for good? Maybe an opportunity passed, a relationship changed, a dream was put on hold, or circumstances took you somewhere you never planned to go. Sometimes life can make you feel like you’ve missed your moment, and there’s no way to get back what was lost. But today’s scripture reading gives us a beautiful reminder that God can be working on your behalf even while you’re walking through a season you didn’t choose.

Earlier in the book of 2 Kings, Elisha had warned the Shunammite woman about a coming famine and told her to leave the land with her household. She obeyed and lived in the land of the Philistines for seven years. Imagine leaving your home, your land, your familiar surroundings, and everything you knew because God was preparing you for something you couldn’t see, yet.

Then the famine ended, and she came back. But there was a problem. Her land was no longer hers to enjoy. She had left everything behind, and now she had to ask the king for the restoration of what belonged to her.

Here’s where the story gets really interesting. While she was on her way to make her request, the king happened to be talking with Gehazi about the miracles Elisha had performed. Gehazi told him about the Shunammite woman and how Elisha had raised her son from the dead. Then she walked in. Talk about perfect timing.

The king heard her story and immediately ordered that everything belonging to her be restored, including the income from the land while she was gone. She didn’t know the conversation was happening before she arrived. She didn’t know that God had already arranged the conversation. She was simply walking toward the place where she needed to go.  That’s the kind of God we serve. Sometimes God is preparing the answer while you’re still trying to figure out how to ask the question.

Here are three powerful truths in this chapter that can encourage us when we’re walking through seasons of uncertainty, waiting, transition, and restoration:

1. Obedience may take you through seasons you didn’t plan

The Shunammite woman left her home because Elisha told her there was going to be a famine. She could have questioned it. She could have said, “But this is my home. Why would God want me to leave?” Instead, she obeyed.  Her obedience took her away from what was familiar for seven years.

Sometimes obedience to God doesn’t immediately make life easier. Sometimes it requires you to leave something comfortable, wait longer than you expected, or take a step when you don’t have all the details.

Maybe God is asking you to make a change you weren’t expecting. Maybe you’re in a season where things feel unfamiliar. Perhaps you’re waiting for something to come together, and you’re wondering why God hasn’t brought you to the next place yet. Remember the Shunammite woman. The fact that she was in a temporary place didn’t mean she was forgotten. God was preserving her through the famine.

There are seasons when God is protecting you from something you can’t see. What feels like an interruption may actually be His provision. You don’t have to understand every part of the journey to obey the next thing God tells you to do.

2. God is working behind the scenes before you ever see the answer

This may be my favorite part of the chapter. The Shunammite woman had no idea that the king was talking about her before she entered the room. She was simply going to tell her story. Meanwhile, God had already started preparing the answer.

That should encourage us when we’re praying about something and nothing seems to be happening. Just because you don’t see movement doesn’t mean God isn’t moving. You might be waiting for a door to open, and God may already be talking to the person on the other side of it. You might be praying about a financial need, and God may already be arranging provision. You might be praying for a family member, and God may already be working in their heart. You might be asking God for direction about your future, and He may be preparing something that you couldn’t possibly arrange yourself.

The Shunammite woman didn’t have to manipulate the situation. She didn’t have to make something happen. She simply showed up and told the truth about what belonged to her. Sometimes we make ourselves exhausted trying to force an answer God is already preparing.

Most of the time when I talk to God about my concerns, I want to try to help Him out with the details. I give Him my prayer request and then five minutes later I’m thinking, “Okay, God, I have a few suggestions.” But God doesn’t need my suggestions nearly as much as He needs my trust.

Keep praying. Keep obeying. Keep walking forward. God may already be having conversations you know nothing about.

3. God is a God of restoration

The king didn’t just give the woman her land back. He told the officer to restore all that belonged to her, including the proceeds from the land from the day she left until the day she returned. God wasn’t simply giving her back what she had lost. He was taking care of what had happened during the years she was away.

That’s a powerful picture of God’s heart. We often look at what has been lost and think, “I’ll never get that time back.” And technically, we’re right. We can’t go backward and relive those years. But God can redeem what was lost. He can restore purpose. He can restore joy. He can restore relationships. He can restore opportunities. He can restore peace. He can bring something beautiful out of seasons that seemed wasted.

Restoration doesn’t always mean God gives us the exact thing we lost in the exact way we had it before. Sometimes His restoration looks completely different from what we expected. Maybe you feel like you’ve wasted time. Maybe you’ve made choices you regret. Maybe you’ve experienced disappointment or loss that changed the direction of your life.

Don’t assume the story is over. God is an expert at taking broken pieces and making something beautiful out of them. Your past may explain part of your story, but it doesn’t have the authority to write your ending. The Shunammite woman probably couldn’t imagine how she would get her land back when she returned. But God already knew.

Today I want to encourage you that God hasn’t forgotten you just because you’re walking through a season you don’t understand. There may be things happening behind the scenes that you know nothing about. There may be conversations happening that you haven’t heard. There may be doors being prepared that you haven’t even seen yet.

Keep obeying God, even when the path takes you somewhere unexpected. Keep trusting Him, even when you don’t see immediate results. Keep believing that He is able to restore what has been lost and redeem what you thought was wasted.

The Shunammite woman didn’t know what was happening in the king’s room before she walked in. She only knew she had a need and she was going to do what she needed to do. You may not know what God is arranging right now either. But you can trust Him.

Your job isn’t to figure out every conversation happening in heaven. Your job is to keep walking in obedience on earth. And when the right moment comes, you may discover that God was already working on your behalf long before you ever knew it. Just keep doing your part and go as far as you can and that’s where God shows up with your miracle.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Kings 8

1 Then Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise and go, you and your household, and stay wherever you can; for the Lord has called for a famine, and furthermore, it will come upon the land for seven years.” 

2 So the woman arose and did according to the saying of the man of God, and she went with her household and dwelt in the land of the Philistines seven years.

3 It came to pass, at the end of seven years, that the woman returned from the land of the Philistines; and she went to make an appeal to the king for her house and for her land. 

4 Then the king talked with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me, please, all the great things Elisha has done.” 

5 Now it happened, as he was telling the king how he had restored the dead to life, that there was the woman whose son he had restored to life, appealing to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” 

6 And when the king asked the woman, she told him.

So the king appointed a certain officer for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, and all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left the land until now.”

7 Then Elisha went to Damascus, and Ben-Hadad king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, “The man of God has come here.” 

8 And the king said to Hazael, “Take a present in your hand, and go to meet the man of God, and inquire of the Lord by him, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this disease?’ ” 

9 So Hazael went to meet him and took a present with him, of every good thing of Damascus, forty camel-loads; and he came and stood before him, and said, “Your son Ben-Hadad king of Syria has sent me to you, saying, ‘Shall I recover from this disease?’ ”

10 And Elisha said to him, “Go, say to him, ‘You shall certainly recover.’ However the Lord has shown me that he will really die.” 

11 Then he set his countenance in a stare until he was ashamed; and the man of God wept. 

12 And Hazael said, “Why is my lord weeping?”

He answered, “Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel: Their strongholds you will set on fire, and their young men you will kill with the sword; and you will dash their children, and rip open their women with child.”

13 So Hazael said, “But what is your servant—a dog, that he should do this gross thing?”

And Elisha answered, “The Lord has shown me that you will become king over Syria.”

14 Then he departed from Elisha, and came to his master, who said to him, “What did Elisha say to you?” And he answered, “He told me you would surely recover.” 

15 But it happened on the next day that he took a thick cloth and dipped it in water, and spread it over his face so that he died; and Hazael reigned in his place.

16 Now in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jehoshaphat having been king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat began to reign as king of Judah. 

17 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 

18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. 

19 Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah, for the sake of His servant David, as He promised him to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.

20 In his days Edom revolted against Judah’s authority, and made a king over themselves. 

21  So Joram went to Zair, and all his chariots with him. Then he rose by night and attacked the Edomites who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots; and the troops fled to their tents. 

22 Thus Edom has been in revolt against Judah’s authority to this day. And Libnah revolted at that time.

23 Now the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 

24 So Joram rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. Then Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.

25 In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, began to reign. 

26 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri, king of Israel. 

27 And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the Lord, like the house of Ahab, for he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab.

28 Now he went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram. 

29 Then King Joram went back to Jezreel to recover from the wounds which the Syrians had inflicted on him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

Journal:

• What season of my life feels uncertain or unfamiliar right now?
• Is there something God has asked me to do that requires me to trust Him without knowing the whole plan?
• What situation am I tempted to believe isn’t changing simply because I can’t see anything happening?
• Where do I need to trust that God may already be working behind the scenes?
• Is there an area of my life where I need to believe God for restoration?
• What have I considered “wasted” that I need to place back in God’s hands?
• Write a prayer thanking God that He is working even when you can’t see what He is doing.

Continue His work

“And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  These signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” ~ Mark 16:15-18

Have you ever watched someone carefully explain how to do a job, hand you the tools, and then walk away expecting you to finish it? At first, you might think, “Wait a minute, aren’t you coming back to do the hard part?” That’s a little like what happened when Jesus ascended into heaven. He completed His earthly ministry, handed His followers the assignment, gave them His authority, and said, “Now it’s your turn.” No pressure, right?

Today I want to talk about the authority Jesus gave right before He ascended into heaven. You may have heard these words at some point in life and know them as the “Great Commission.” Jesus said in the book of Matthew that all authority had been given to Him. Then He handed off that power to His people and delegated that authority to the disciples by telling them to go and take His message to the world. However, here in Mark’s account of the Great Commission, the authority isn’t given only to the disciples standing there that day. It is also given to all those who believe.

Notice what Jesus says. “These signs will follow those who believe.” This part of the Great Commission doesn’t always receive as much attention, but I believe it is so very much important. These signs were never meant to draw attention to us. They are for pointing people to Jesus and helping those who are hurting to discover the hope, love, and saving grace that only He can give.

Jesus said believers would cast out demons in His name, speak with new tongues, and lay hands on the sick so they would recover. It doesn’t say every healing will happen instantly, although sometimes it does. It simply says they will recover. God is the One who performs the miracle. We simply have the privilege of believing Him and making ourselves available for Him to work through us.

Personally, I had learned at a very young age that these signs had ended with the disciples. But as I began studying them for myself, I realized Jesus wasn’t limiting His words to one generation. He said these signs would follow all those who believe on His name. That includes every believer who is willing to step out in faith and continue the work He began. I’m so thankful Jesus desires His ministry to continue through His people today. It’s one of the reasons He taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Here are a few practical ways to begin living this out today:

• Spend time reading about the miracles Jesus performed and notice the compassion He showed people.
•  Ask the Holy Spirit each morning to give you opportunities to encourage, pray for, or serve someone that day.
• If someone shares a struggle with you, don’t just promise you’ll pray later. If it’s appropriate, ask if you can pray with them right then.
• Trust God with the results. Your responsibility is obedience. His responsibility is the outcome.
• Remember that God isn’t looking for perfect people. He’s looking for willing people. If He waited for perfection, we’d all still be waiting.

One of the greatest privileges we have as believers is partnering with God in what He is already doing. We aren’t trying to manufacture miracles or prove anything to anyone. We simply become available for the Holy Spirit to work through our lives. Sometimes that looks like praying for healing. Sometimes it looks like encouraging someone who is discouraged. Sometimes it means sharing the gospel with a friend. Every act of obedience becomes another opportunity for people to experience the love of Jesus.

Today I want to encourage you to step into the authority Jesus has already given you as a believer. Don’t underestimate what God can do through one willing heart that simply says, “Here I am, Lord. Use me.” Ask Him to lead your steps, guide your words, and work through your hands today. You may be the answer to someone’s prayer, the encouragement they desperately needed, or the person God uses to introduce them to His love. Continue His work with confidence, humility, and compassion, knowing that the same Holy Spirit who empowered Jesus’ ministry now lives in you.

Today’s scripture reading:  Mark 16:14-20

14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 

15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 

16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 

17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 

18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 

20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

Journal:

• Do I truly believe Jesus has called me to continue His work here on earth?
• When was the last time I stepped out in faith to pray for someone or encourage them?
• Is fear keeping me from obeying the promptings of the Holy Spirit?
• How can I become more available for God to work through me each day?
• Who in my life needs to experience the love, hope, and compassion of Jesus through me today?

The heavy lifting

_{And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” ~ Mark 16:3}

Have you ever spent hours worrying about a problem that God had already solved? We laugh about it afterward, but while we’re in the middle of it, the obstacle can seem enormous. It’s amazing how often we lose sleep over a stone that God has already moved.

That’s exactly what happened to the women on resurrection morning. As they walked toward the tomb, they carried spices in their hands and concern in their hearts.

One question kept repeating itself. “Who is going to roll away the stone?” It was a valid concern. The stone was far too large for them to move. Yet when they arrived, the problem that had been worrying about all the way to the tomb was already gone. God had taken care of the heavy lifting before they even got there.

I love that picture. The women had done everything they could do. They prepared the spices. They got up early. They made the journey. They obeyed. The one thing they couldn’t do, God had already done.

Isn’t that how our walk with God often works? He asks us to do what is within our ability. Then He faithfully does what only He can do. Sometimes we expect God to do our part too. Other times we try to do His part but neither approach works very well. Our responsibility is obedience. His responsibility is the miracle.

Here are some ways to walk in that truth:

• Take the first step of obedience even when you can’t see the entire path.
• Stop worrying about obstacles that belong to God.
• Pray specifically for the areas where only God can intervene.
• Thank Him in advance for His faithfulness before you see the answer.

I’ve discovered that many of the “stones” I’ve worried about never needed my strength in the first place. God was already at work long before I arrived. He’s so much better at moving impossible obstacles than I will ever, and thankfully He doesn’t ask me to help push!

Today I want to encourage you to faithfully do the part God has given you and trust Him with the part only He can make happen. Keep walking in obedience, even when the obstacles seem overwhelming. The same God who rolled away the stone is already waiting in your tomorrow. He has gone before you, opened doors you cannot open, and prepared a way where there seems to be none. Trust His faithfulness, take your next step, and watch Him do the heavy lifting.

Here is how you can get started today:

• Identify what God has asked you to do and take that first step today.
• Release one burden you’ve been trying to carry by yourself.
• Thank God for going before you.
• Watch for His faithfulness in ordinary moments.

Today’s scripture reading: Mark 16:1-11

1 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. 

2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 

3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” 

4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. 

5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.

6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 

7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”

8 So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. 

10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. 

11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

12 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. 

13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

 Journal:

• What “stone” have I been worrying about?
• Am I trying to do God’s part instead of my own?
• What step of obedience is God asking me to take?
• How has God gone before me in the past?
• What miracle am I trusting Him for today?

Things are about to change

“Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.” ~ 2 Kings 7:1

Have you ever been in a situation where you thought, “Things are never going to change”? Maybe you’ve prayed about something so long that you’ve almost stopped expecting an answer. Maybe you’ve looked at the circumstances around you and thought, “I don’t even know where the solution could possibly come from.”

That’s exactly where the people of Samaria were in today’s scripture reading. The city was surrounded by the Syrian army. Food was scarce. Prices had become outrageous. People were desperate, and things looked completely hopeless. If you had walked through the city that day, you wouldn’t have heard much talk about abundance. You would have heard people talking about survival.

Then Elisha makes a bold statement. He says that within one day, the situation is going to completely change. Food that was practically impossible to obtain would suddenly become affordable and plentiful. All in one day. The people had no idea how God could possibly accomplish it and honestly, neither did Elisha. But God did.

Four lepers sitting outside the city eventually decided they had nothing left to lose. They went toward the Enemy camp that was set up to take the city, only to discover that God had caused the Syrians to hear the sound of a great army. They had fled, leaving everything behind.The four men walked into the camp and found food, clothing, silver, gold, and supplies. What looked impossible in the morning had become reality by evening.

Isn’t that just like God? Sometimes He can change a situation so completely that you can only look back and say, “Only God could have done that.”

Below are three truths from this chapter that remind us that God doesn’t need the circumstances to look promising before He begins working. Sometimes the greatest breakthroughs begin when everything around us says there’s no hope.

1. God can change your circumstances faster than you think

Elisha said, “Tomorrow about this time.” The people were looking at a famine, but God was already looking at provision. They were looking at an impossible situation, but God was looking at what He was about to do. Sometimes we assume that because something hasn’t changed in a long time, it must not be changing at all. But God isn’t limited by how long you’ve been waiting.

Maybe you’ve been praying for a family situation for years. Maybe you’re waiting for financial provision. Maybe you’re believing God for direction concerning your future. Maybe you’re praying for someone who seems farther from God than ever. Don’t decide that because you can’t see movement, God isn’t moving.

The situation in Samaria looked like it would take months or years to change. God changed it overnight. That doesn’t mean every situation will change overnight, and we shouldn’t put a timetable on God. But it does remind us that God can move suddenly when He chooses to.

You may go to bed facing the same problem and wake up with a completely different opportunity, answer, idea, relationship, or provision. So keep praying. Keep obeying. Keep trusting that God is doing more behind the scenes than you realize.

2. God works through people that you wouldn’t expect

Here’s one of my favorite parts of this story. God didn’t use the king, the soldiers, or some impressive group of warriors to discover the abandoned Syrian camp. He used four lepers, four outcasts.

These men weren’t sitting in a position of influence. They weren’t considered important. They weren’t the people anyone would have chosen to lead the rescue mission. They were four men who decided to take a step regardless of how they felt and what they were expected to do.

That should encourage every one of us. Never assume you’re too insignificant for God to use. You might think, “I’m not the most gifted person in the room.” Maybe you don’t have the biggest platform, the most resources, the perfect background, or the personality that naturally draws attention.

The good news is, God has never needed a perfect résumé to accomplish His purposes. He can use the person who simply says yes. Maybe God is asking you to encourage someone at work. Maybe He’s prompting you to reach out to a neighbor, invite someone to church, serve in a ministry, pray for someone, start something new, or use a gift you’ve been keeping on the shelf.

Don’t disqualify yourself because you don’t think you’re impressive enough. The four lepers weren’t impressive. They were available and sometimes availability is exactly what God is looking for.

3. When God gives you good news, don’t keep it to yourself

After discovering the camp, the four men initially started enjoying the food and collecting the valuables. Can you blame them? After being hungry, they probably thought they had just discovered the greatest buffet in history.

But eventually they said something important in 2 Kings 7:9, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent.” They realized they couldn’t keep the blessing to themselves. There were people back in the city who were still starving. They had found good news, and good news is meant to be shared.

That speaks directly to us as God’s people today. We have been given the greatest news of all. We know Jesus. We know His grace. We know His forgiveness. We know His faithfulness. We know that He can bring hope into places that feel hopeless. Sometimes we can become so comfortable enjoying what God has done for us that we forget there are people around us who desperately need to hear what we know.

Who needs encouragement from you today? Who needs to hear that God hasn’t forgotten them? Who needs someone to pray with them? Who needs an invitation to church? Who needs to know that their past doesn’t have to determine their future?

You don’t have to preach a sermon every time you open your mouth. Sometimes sharing the good news simply means telling someone, “I’ve been praying for you,” or “God has helped me through something similar,” or “Can I pray with you?” Your story may be exactly what someone else needs to hear.

The four lepers discovered that what they had found wasn’t just for them. It was meant to change the lives of others. The same is true of what God has placed in our hands.

Today I want to encourage you to remember that what looks impossible to you is never impossible for God. The people of Samaria went to bed surrounded by famine and woke up surrounded by provision. The four lepers thought they were simply taking a desperate step, but God used that step to become part of a citywide breakthrough.

You may not know how God is going to answer your prayer. You may not see where the provision is coming from or understand what He’s doing behind the scenes. But you can trust Him. Don’t let what you see today convince you that tomorrow can’t be different.

Keep taking the next step. Keep listening to God. Keep saying yes when He prompts you. Keep sharing the good news you’ve been given.  Then when God opens a door, don’t forget to look around and see who else needs to walk through it with you.

Your breakthrough may not look like what you expected. It may come through a person you never expected, an opportunity you didn’t see coming, or a door you didn’t know existed. But when God is involved, there’s always more happening than what you can see.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Kings 7

1 Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’ ”

2 So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?”

And he said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”

3 Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? 

4 If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die.” 

5 And they rose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians; and when they had come to the outskirts of the Syrian camp, to their surprise no one was there. 

6 For the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses—the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!” 

7 Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact—their tents, their horses, and their donkeys—and they fled for their lives. 

8 And when these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from it silver and gold and clothing, and went and hid them; then they came back and entered another tent, and carried some from there also, and went and hid it.

9 Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning light, some punishment will come upon us. Now therefore, come, let us go and tell the king’s household.” 

10 So they went and called to the gatekeepers of the city, and told them, saying, “We went to the Syrian camp, and surprisingly no one was there, not a human sound—only horses and donkeys tied, and the tents intact.” 

11 And the gatekeepers called out, and they told it to the king’s household inside.

12 So the king arose in the night and said to his servants, “Let me now tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, ‘When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.’ ”

13 And one of his servants answered and said, “Please, let several men take five of the remaining horses which are left in the city. Look, they may either become like all the multitude of Israel that are left in it; or indeed, I say, they may become like all the multitude of Israel left from those who are consumed; so let us send them and see.” 

14 Therefore they took two chariots with horses; and the king sent them in the direction of the Syrian army, saying, “Go and see.” 

15 And they went after them to the Jordan; and indeed all the road was full of garments and weapons which the Syrians had thrown away in their haste. So the messengers returned and told the king. 

16 Then the people went out and plundered the tents of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord.

17 Now the king had appointed the officer on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. But the people trampled him in the gate, and he died, just as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. 

18 So it happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “Two seahs of barley for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, shall be sold tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria.”

19 Then that officer had answered the man of God, and said, “Now look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he had said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” 

20 And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate, and he died.

Journal:

• What situation in my life currently feels impossible or hopeless?
• Am I allowing the length of my wait to make me question God’s ability to move?
• What is one small step of obedience I can take today?
• Have I ever disqualified myself from being used by God because I felt inadequate? What does this story teach me about that?
• Who is one person I can encourage or share the good news with this week?
• What provision, opportunity, or answer has God already placed in my life that I need to recognize and be thankful for?

When you can’t see a way out

_{So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” ~ 2 Kings 6:16}

Have you ever had one of those moments when the problem in front of you seemed so big that it completely blocked your view of anything else? You knew God was with you, you knew you’d seen Him work before, but right now, all you could see was the problem.

That’s exactly where we find Elisha’s servant in today’s scripture reading. The king of Syria had sent an entire army to surround the city where Elisha and his servant were staying. When the servant got up early and saw horses, chariots, and soldiers surrounding them, he panicked. Honestly, who could blame him? It wasn’t exactly the kind of thing you want to see before your morning coffee.

His response was, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” But Elisha wasn’t afraid. He knew something his servant couldn’t see yet. He knew that what was visible wasn’t the whole story. Elisha prayed, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then God opened the servant’s eyes, and suddenly he saw the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha. The army had been real, but so was God’s protection. The danger was real, but it wasn’t greater than the God who was with them.

We live in a world where there’s plenty to make us anxious. We can be surrounded by bad news, financial pressure, family concerns, difficult relationships, uncertainty about the future, or situations that seem completely out of our control. Sometimes what we see with our natural eyes can become so loud that we forget there’s a whole spiritual reality we can’t see.

Here are three truths we can take from this chapter to remind us that God doesn’t have to change everything around you before He can give you peace. Sometimes He changes what you can see.

1. Don’t let what you see tell you the whole story

The servant looked outside and saw an army. Elisha looked outside and knew God had an army too. The servant’s problem wasn’t that what he saw was untrue. There really were soldiers surrounding the city. His problem was that he could only see part of the picture.

That can happen to us, too. You might look at your bank account and see a shortage. You might look at your family and see a difficult situation. You might look at your calendar and see more responsibilities than you have energy for. You might look at your future and have no idea how everything is going to work out. What you see may be real, but it isn’t necessarily the whole story.

Faith doesn’t mean pretending problems don’t exist. It means remembering that your problems aren’t the only things that exist. When you’re facing something difficult, practice bringing your attention back to what you know about God. He’s faithful. He’s present. He’s your provider. He gives wisdom. He gives strength. He can make a way where you don’t see one. The next time your thoughts start racing through every possible disaster, stop and ask, “God, what am I not seeing?” You may not immediately see a solution, but you can choose to trust the One who already sees the beginning, the middle, and the end.

2. God can give you a different perspective without changing your circumstances

Notice something important about this story. When Elisha prayed for his servant’s eyes to be opened, God didn’t immediately remove the Syrian army. The army was still there. The circumstances hadn’t changed yet, but the servant’s perspective changed.

Sometimes we pray, “God, get me out of this,” and God’s answer begins with, “Let Me show you how I’m with you in this.” That doesn’t mean God won’t change the situation. He absolutely can. But sometimes the first miracle is that God gives you peace before He gives you the answer.

Maybe you’re waiting for a door to open. Maybe you’re dealing with a situation you can’t control. Maybe you’ve been praying for someone you love and you haven’t seen the change you hoped for yet.

Instead of only praying, “God, change this,” begin praying, “God, open my eyes to see You in the middle of this.” Look for His wisdom. Look for His provision. Look for the people He’s placed around you. Look for the strength He’s giving you for today. Look for the little reminders that you’re not walking through this alone. Sometimes we’re so focused on the mountain that we miss the fact that God is standing on it with us.

3. You don’t have to be afraid when God is with you

Elisha told his servant, “Do not fear.” That’s a powerful statement considering what was happening around them. Elisha didn’t say, “There’s nothing to be afraid of.” He said, “There’s more with us than there is against us.” That’s an important difference.

Being God’s people doesn’t mean we’ll never face intimidating circumstances. It means we don’t have to face them alone. There will be moments when you receive a phone call you didn’t expect. There will be moments when the numbers don’t make sense, the relationship is complicated, the diagnosis is concerning, the opportunity feels bigger than you, or the next step seems unclear. Fear may knock on your door, but you don’t have to invite it in for dinner. You can acknowledge what’s happening without allowing fear to become the voice making your decisions.

When you feel overwhelmed, remind yourself of who God is. Pray before you panic. Worship before you worry. Open Scripture before you start searching the internet for seventeen possible worst-case scenarios. When you don’t know what to do, remember that you don’t have to know everything to take the next step God has given you.

Elisha didn’t need his servant to understand everything. He needed him to trust the God who could see what he couldn’t. This chapter reminds us that heaven isn’t nervous about what’s happening on earth. The enemy had surrounded the city, but God had already surrounded His people.

Today I want to encourage you not to allow what you see to become greater than what you know about God. There may be circumstances surrounding you right now that feel intimidating, but God hasn’t left you in the middle of them. You may not see the answer yet, but that doesn’t mean God isn’t working. You may not know what tomorrow holds, but you know the One who holds tomorrow.

When fear says, “Look at the problem,” faith says, “Look at your God.” When your circumstances say, “There’s no way,” remember that God doesn’t need a way to already exist. He can make one. Ask God to open your eyes today. Open your eyes to His presence. Open your eyes to His provision. Open your eyes to His protection. Open your eyes to the people He’s placed around you. Most of all, open your eyes to see that you’re not facing your circumstances by yourself. The army may be surrounding you, but God is surrounding you too.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Kings 6

1 And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See now, the place where we dwell with you is too small for us. 

2 Please, let us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam from there, and let us make there a place where we may dwell.”

So he answered, “Go.”

3 Then one said, “Please consent to go with your servants.”

And he answered, “I will go.” 

4 So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. 

5 But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, “Alas, master! For it was borrowed.”

6 So the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float. 

7 Therefore he said, “Pick it up for yourself.” So he reached out his hand and took it.

8 Now the king of Syria was making war against Israel; and he consulted with his servants, saying, “My camp will be in such and such a place.” 

9 And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there.” 

10 Then the king of Israel sent someone to the place of which the man of God had told him. Thus he warned him, and he was watchful there, not just once or twice.

11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?”

12 And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”

13 So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.”

And it was told him, saying, “Surely he is in Dothan.”

14 Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. 

15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”

16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 

17 And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 

18 So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

19 Now Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, nor is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” But he led them to Samaria.

20 So it was, when they had come to Samaria, that Elisha said, “Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and there they were, inside Samaria!

21 Now when the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”

22 But he answered, “You shall not kill them. Would you kill those whom you have taken captive with your sword and your bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” 

23 Then he prepared a great feast for them; and after they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syrian raiders came no more into the land of Israel.

Syria Besieges Samaria in Famine

24 And it happened after this that Ben-Hadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria. 

25 And there was a great famine in Samaria; and indeed they besieged it until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver, and one-fourth of a kab of dove droppings for five shekels of silver.

26 Then, as the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried out to him, saying, “Help, my lord, O king!”

27 And he said, “If the Lord does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or from the winepress?” 

28 Then the king said to her, “What is troubling you?”

And she answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 

29 So we boiled my son, and ate him. And I said to her on the next day, ‘Give your son, that we may eat him’; but she has hidden her son.”

30 Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he tore his clothes; and as he passed by on the wall, the people looked, and there underneath he had sackcloth on his body. 

31 Then he said, “God do so to me and more also, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat remains on him today!”

32 But Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. And the king sent a man ahead of him, but before the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, “Do you see how this son of a murderer has sent someone to take away my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?” 

33 And while he was still talking with them, there was the messenger, coming down to him; and then the king said, “Surely this calamity is from the Lord; why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”

Journal:

Write a personal declaration based on 2 Kings 6:16 beginning with, “I will not fear because…”

What situation in my life feels bigger than I can handle right now?

What am I seeing with my natural eyes that may be causing me to lose sight of what I know about God?

What would change in my attitude if I truly believed God was with me in this situation?

What do I need to ask God to help me see differently?

When God doesn’t answer the way you expected

“Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’”  ~ 2 Kings 5:11

Have you ever prayed about something and, somewhere along the way, decided exactly how God should answer? You know what I mean. You pray, “God, please take care of this,” but then in your mind you’ve already written the script. You know who should call, what they should say, which door should open, how quickly it should happen, and what the answer should look like. Then God does something completely different, and we’re standing there thinking, “Well, that’s not what I had in mind.”

That’s exactly what happened to Naaman in today’s scripture reading. Naaman was a mighty commander of the Syrian army, a respected man with position, authority, and success. But he had one problem he couldn’t solve with any of those things. He had leprosy. When he heard that the prophet Elisha could help him, he traveled to Elisha’s house expecting a very specific kind of miracle.

Naaman had a picture in his mind of what his healing should look like. He expected Elisha to come outside, call on the name of the Lord, wave his hand over the affected area, and perform some dramatic miracle. Honestly, Naaman had already planned the service. He just needed Elisha to follow the program.

Instead, Elisha didn’t even come outside. He sent a messenger with a simple instruction, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times.” Naaman was furious. Why? Because God didn’t answer the way Naaman thought He should. Isn’t that where we sometimes find ourselves? We believe God can answer our prayers, but we also have a pretty good idea of what that answer is supposed to look like.

Maybe you’re praying for God to change a situation, but you’ve already decided exactly how He needs to change it. Maybe you’re asking Him to open a door, but you’ve already chosen which door. Maybe you’re praying for a relationship to be restored, but you’ve already decided what the other person needs to say. Maybe you’re asking God for provision, but you’ve already determined where the money should come from. We believe God can answer but many times we want to manage the delivery.

This passage shows us some powerful truths about what happens when God’s answer doesn’t look anything like the answer we imagined.

Here are three lessons to help us remember God isn’t obligated to follow the script we wrote for Him. His ways are higher than ours, and sometimes the very thing that frustrates us about His answer is the thing He wants to use to grow our faith.

1. Your expectation of how God should move can keep you from seeing how He is moving in the situation.

Naaman arrived with horses, chariots, servants, gifts, and an impressive reputation. He was expecting an impressive miracle to match the impressive entrance. Instead, Elisha sent a messenger to the door. Naaman probably thought, “Wait, that’s it? I’m the commander of an army, and you’re sending a messenger?”

Sometimes we can have the same attitude with God. We think our situation deserves a big answer because it’s a big situation. We want the dramatic breakthrough, the unmistakable sign, the moment where everything suddenly makes sense. But God doesn’t always work in dramatic ways.

Sometimes He answers through a simple conversation. Sometimes through a Scripture we’ve read a hundred times. Sometimes through a person who says something at exactly the right time. Sometimes through a closed door. Sometimes through a slow process that requires us to keep trusting Him one day at a time. We need to be careful not to miss God’s answer simply because it doesn’t look like what we expected.

Maybe you’ve been praying for direction and you’re waiting for God to send a giant neon sign from heaven. Meanwhile, He’s already given you wisdom through His Word, godly counsel, and the next step right in front of you. Maybe you’re praying for God to change someone else, but He’s starting by changing something in you. Maybe you’re asking God to remove an obstacle, and instead He’s giving you strength to walk through it.

God’s answer may not look like what you pictured, but that doesn’t mean He’s not answering. Ask yourself, “Am I looking for God’s answer, or am I looking for my preferred answer?”  Those are two very different things.

2. Sometimes the simple instruction is the doorway to the miracle

Naaman’s instruction wasn’t complicated. “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times.” But simple doesn’t always mean easy. Naaman had a problem with the instruction because it offended his expectations. He even named rivers he thought were better than the Jordan. He basically said, “If I’m going to wash in a river, surely there are better rivers than that one.”

We can smile at Naaman, but we can also recognize ourselves in him. God may give us an instruction that seems too ordinary for the problem we’re facing. Forgive. Wait. Pray. Give. Serve. Apologize. Stay. Go. Trust.

Sometimes it seems like if God were to give a complicated answer it would be more powerful. But God may ask us to do something very simple that requires a whole lot of trust. Maybe you’re praying for peace, but God is asking you to stop replaying the situation in your mind and give it to Him. Maybe you’re praying for restoration in a relationship, but God is asking you to make the first move and have an honest conversation. Maybe you’re praying for a new opportunity, but God is asking you to faithfully serve where you are right now. Maybe you’re praying for direction, but God has already given you the next step and you’re waiting for the next ten.

We often want the entire staircase when God is only asking us to take the next step. Naaman had to get into the Jordan. The miracle didn’t happen while he stood on the bank arguing with God. Most often, obedience has to happen before understanding comes.

3. Humility can open the door to what pride would have kept you from

Naaman eventually listened to the servants who encouraged him to follow Elisha’s instruction. He went down to the Jordan, dipped himself seven times, and his flesh was restored. Think about what almost happened. Naaman almost walked away from his miracle because the answer didn’t look impressive enough. Pride nearly convinced him that he knew better than God’s instruction.

That should get our attention. Sometimes our biggest obstacle isn’t the situation we’re praying about. Sometimes it’s our insistence that God answer it our way. Humility says, “God, I don’t understand this, but I trust You.” Pride says, “God, here’s how I think You should handle this.” Humility says, “I’ll obey even when I don’t understand.” Pride says, “I’ll obey when the plan makes sense to me.” Humility says, “Your way is better.” That’s not always easy.

Maybe you’re waiting for an answer that isn’t coming in the timeframe you expected. Maybe you’ve been asking God to change your circumstances, but He’s been asking you to change your response to those circumstances.

Maybe you wanted the apology, but God is teaching you forgiveness. Maybe you wanted the promotion, but God is teaching you faithfulness. Maybe you wanted the relationship, but God is teaching you contentment. Maybe you wanted the immediate breakthrough, but God is teaching you endurance.

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ask God for what we desire. We absolutely should bring our requests to Him. Scripture encourages us to pray boldly and specifically. But after we ask, we have to trust Him with the answer and just begin to thank Him for it instead of telling Him who it should come.

We can say, “God, this is what I’m asking for, but I trust You enough to let You decide what the answer should look like.” That’s where faith grows. Naaman’s story reminds us that God wasn’t only interested in healing his body. God was also dealing with his heart. The miracle wasn’t just that Naaman came out of the water healed. He came out changed.

That’s often what God is doing in us while we’re waiting for Him to change something around us. We may start a prayer asking God to change our circumstances, and somewhere along the way, God begins changing us. That’s not God ignoring our prayer. That’s God doing a deeper work than we originally asked for.

Today I want to encourage you to trust God when His answer doesn’t look like the answer you imagined. You can bring Him your requests. You can tell Him what you want. You can pray boldly and honestly. But don’t make the mistake of deciding that your idea of the answer is the only acceptable answer. God sees what you can’t see. He knows what you don’t know. He understands the whole picture when you can only see one little corner of it.

Maybe you’re standing beside your own Jordan right now, wondering why God is asking you to do something so simple. Maybe you’re frustrated because the answer isn’t happening the way you thought it would. Maybe you’ve even been tempted to walk away because God’s instructions don’t make sense to you. Don’t leave the river too soon. Don’t miss what God is doing because it doesn’t look the way you expected.

Naaman had to get past his pride, his expectations, and his preferred method before he experienced what God had for him. Sometimes our greatest breakthrough begins when we stop telling God how He needs to answer and start trusting Him with the answer. You don’t have to understand everything to obey God. You don’t have to see the whole picture to take the next step and you don’t have to know how God is going to do it to believe that He can.

So bring God your request, then release your script. Let God be God. He may answer differently than you expected, but His way is still worth trusting.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Kings 5

1 Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. 

2 And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife. 

3Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” 

4And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel.”

5 Then the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”

So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 

6 Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said,

Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy.

7 And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me.”

8 So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

9 Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 

10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” 

11 But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ 

12 Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 

13 And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 

14 So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.”

16 But he said, “As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused.

17 So Naaman said, “Then, if not, please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth; for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the Lord. 

18 Yet in this thing may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord please pardon your servant in this thing.”

19 Then he said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him a short distance.

Gehazi’s Greed

20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Look, my master has spared Naaman this Syrian, while not receiving from his hands what he brought; but as the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” 

21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?”

22 And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Indeed, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of garments.’ ”

23 So Naaman said, “Please, take two talents.” And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and handed them to two of his servants; and they carried them on ahead of him. 

24 When he came to the citadel, he took them from their hand, and stored them away in the house; then he let the men go, and they departed. 

25 Now he went in and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?”

And he said, “Your servant did not go anywhere.”

26 Then he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? 

27 Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow.

Journal:

• Is there an area of my life where I’ve already decided how God should answer my prayer?
• What am I asking God to change, and could He be asking me to allow Him to change something in me first?
• Am I willing to obey God even when His instruction seems too simple or doesn’t make sense to me?
• What is my “Jordan” right now, the place where God is asking me to take a step of obedience?
• Have I ever seen God answer a prayer differently than I expected, only to realize later that His way was better?
• What would it look like for me to pray, “God, this is what I desire, but I trust You with how You choose to answer”?

 

Start with what you have

And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” ~ 2 Kings 4:2

Have you ever looked at what you have and thought, “This isn’t enough”? Maybe you’ve looked at your bank account, your schedule, your energy, your resources, or even your own abilities and thought, “Lord, I’m not sure how this is going to work.” Sometimes we focus so much on what we don’t have that we overlook the one thing God has already placed in our hands.

That’s exactly where we find a widow in today’s scripture reading. She was facing a serious financial crisis. Her husband had died, creditors were coming, and she was about to lose her sons. When she cried out to Elisha, his first question wasn’t, “What are you missing?” He asked, “What do you have in your house?” Her answer seemed almost laughable compared to the size of her need. She had only a small jar of oil. But God has a way of taking what looks insignificant and turning it into more than enough.

This chapter is filled with miracles, but it’s also filled with ordinary people facing very real circumstances. There’s a widow who needs provision, a woman who longs for a child, a servant who sees an impossible situation, and a group of prophets who discover that God can provide even when there seems to be nothing to eat. In every situation, God showed that He is not limited by what we see.

As God’s people living in today’s world, we can easily fall into the same trap. We look at the size of the need and compare it to the size of our resources. We look at the problem and forget who our God is. But this passage reminds us that what we have may be small, but when we place it in God’s hands, small things can become the starting point for something much bigger.

Here are three truths to help you remember that God doesn’t always start by giving you something you don’t have. Sometimes He starts by asking you to recognize what He’s already placed in your hands.

1. God works with what you already have

The widow thought she had nothing, but she actually had a jar of oil. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for God to begin a miracle. Elisha instructed her to borrow empty containers from her neighbors, go inside with her sons, and begin pouring. As she poured, the oil continued to flow until every container was full. Notice something important.

The miracle began with what was already in her house. Sometimes we’re waiting for God to give us something new when He’s asking us to use what we already have. You may be thinking, “If I only had more money, more time, more experience, more connections, more confidence, or more resources, then I could really do something for God.” But God may be asking, “What do you already have?”

Maybe you have a testimony. Maybe you have a skill. Maybe you have a gift of encouragement. Maybe you have a home where people can gather. Maybe you have an idea you’ve been sitting on. Maybe you have a few hours each week that you could use to serve someone. Maybe you have a story that could encourage someone who is walking through what you’ve already overcome. Don’t underestimate what God can do with what you already have.

Take inventory of your life. Instead of making a list of everything you’re missing, make a list of what God has already placed in your hands. Then ask Him how He wants you to use it. You might be surprised at what happens when you stop saying, “I don’t have enough,” and start saying, “God, here’s what I have. What can You do with it?”

2. Obedience comes before the miracle

The widow had to do something that probably sounded strange. She was told to collect empty containers from her neighbors. Imagine knocking on someone’s door and saying, “Hi, I’m having a financial crisis. Could I borrow every empty container you have?” They probably had questions!

But she obeyed.  She didn’t wait until she understood exactly how the miracle would happen. She simply followed the instructions she was given. She gathered the containers, went inside, and began pouring the oil. The miracle happened as she obeyed.

There are times when God will ask us to take a step before we understand the whole plan. We want the five-year blueprint, preferably laminated and color coded, before we’re willing to take step one. Usually God gives us just enough light for the next step, not the entire journey.

Maybe God has been nudging you to make a phone call, forgive someone, start something new, give generously, serve in an area, have a difficult conversation, or finally take a step toward something He’s been placing on your heart. You don’t need to know how everything is going to work out before you obey what God has already made clear.

Faith isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes faith looks like making the phone call, filling out the application, opening the Bible, having the conversation, showing up, giving what you can, or taking one small step when you still have questions. The widow didn’t know how much oil would come from that jar. She just started pouring. Sometimes you discover the provision while you’re walking in obedience.

3. God is not limited by what looks impossible

Later in the chapter, we see another miracle when a woman who had shown great kindness to Elisha receives a promise that she will have a son. Eventually, the child becomes sick and dies, but God worked through Elisha to bring him back to life.

Then there is another situation where the prophets have nothing to eat. Someone accidentally puts poisonous gourds into the stew, and suddenly there is a crisis at the dinner table. Elisha tells them to add flour to the pot, and the food becomes safe to eat.

It almost sounds like a collection of impossible situations, doesn’t it? Financial crisis, infertility, death, famine, poisoned food. Yet throughout the chapter, God keeps demonstrating that He is present in circumstances that look completely beyond human ability.

That’s good news for us because life doesn’t always give us easy situations. There are moments when we face things that we simply can’t fix. We can’t control another person’s choices. We can’t make someone change. We can’t manufacture an opportunity. We can’t guarantee an outcome. We can’t solve every problem with enough effort. But what we can’t do doesn’t limit what God can do.

Maybe you’re facing something right now that feels too big. Maybe you’re waiting for an answer that hasn’t come. Maybe you’re praying for a family member. Maybe you’re trusting God for provision. Maybe you’re standing in front of a situation where you honestly don’t know what to do next. Don’t allow the impossibility of the situation to become bigger in your mind than the greatness of your God.

You may not know how God will answer, but you can know that He is faithful. Your responsibility isn’t to figure out every detail. Your responsibility is to trust Him, obey what He shows you, and keep moving forward in faith.

Today I want to encourage you, don’t despise what looks small in your hands. The widow’s jar of oil didn’t look like enough to solve her problem, but God didn’t need a warehouse full of oil to begin a miracle. He simply needed her willingness to place what she had in His hands.

Maybe you feel like you have a small jar right now. Maybe your resources feel limited, your strength feels low, or your situation seems impossible. Start with what you have. Give God what you’ve been holding onto. Take the next step He puts in front of you and trust Him with the outcome.

God isn’t asking you to produce the miracle. He’s asking you to trust the One who can. The little you have becomes significant when it’s surrendered to a limitless God. So don’t say, “I don’t have enough.” Instead say, “God, this is what I have. I place it in Your hands.” Then start pouring.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Kings 4

1 A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”

2 So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”

3 Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. 

4 And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.”

5 So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. 

6 Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. 

7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”

8 Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food. 

9 And she said to her husband, “Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. 

10 Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.”

11 And it happened one day that he came there, and he turned in to the upper room and lay down there. 

12 Then he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite woman.” When he had called her, she stood before him. 

13 And he said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?’ ”

She answered, “I dwell among my own people.”

14 So he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old.”

15 So he said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the doorway. 

16 Then he said, “About this time next year you shall embrace a son.”

And she said, “No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant!”

17 But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.

18 And the child grew. Now it happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers. 

19 And he said to his father, “My head, my head!”

So he said to a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 

20 When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. 

21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out. 

22 Then she called to her husband, and said, “Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and come back.”

23 So he said, “Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath.”

And she said, “It is well.” 

24 Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, “Drive, and go forward; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you.” 

25 And so she departed, and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel.

So it was, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look, the Shunammite woman! 

26 Please run now to meet her, and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’ ”

And she answered, “It is well.” 

27 Now when she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet, but Gehazi came near to push her away. But the man of God said, “Let her alone; for her soul is in deep distress, and the Lord has hidden it from me, and has not told me.”

28 So she said, “Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me’?”

29 Then he said to Gehazi, “Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child.”

30 And the mother of the child said, “As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So he arose and followed her. 

31 Now Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, “The child has not awakened.”

32 When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed. 

33 He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord. 

34 And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm. 

35 He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 

36 And he called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite woman.” So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” 

37 So she went in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; then she picked up her son and went out.

38 And Elisha returned to Gilgal, and there was a famine in the land. Now the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” 

39 So one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered from it a lapful of wild gourds, and came and sliced them into the pot of stew, though they did not know what they were. 

40 Then they served it to the men to eat. Now it happened, as they were eating the stew, that they cried out and said, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.

41 So he said, “Then bring some flour.” And he put it into the pot, and said, “Serve it to the people, that they may eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.

42 Then a man came from Baal Shalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened grain in his knapsack. And he said, “Give it to the people, that they may eat.”

43 But his servant said, “What? Shall I set this before one hundred men?”

He said again, “Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus says the Lord: ‘They shall eat and have some left over.’ ” 

44 So he set it before them; and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.

Journal:

• What is something God has already placed in my hands that I’ve been overlooking or undervaluing?
• Where have I been focusing more on what I don’t have than on what God has already provided?
• Is there an area where God is asking me to take a step of obedience before I understand the whole plan?
• What situation in my life currently feels impossible?
• What would change if I focused more on God’s ability than on my limitations?
• What is one practical step of faith I can take this week?

God sees what you can’t

For thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.’ ~ 2 Kings 3:17

Have you ever been in a situation where you desperately needed God to move, but there was absolutely no evidence that He was doing anything? You prayed, you waited, you looked at the circumstances, and nothing seems to be changing. No rain, no clouds, no obvious sign, nothing. At that point, it can be tempting to think, “Well, I guess God didn’t hear me.” We tend to be much more comfortable trusting God when we can see a little evidence that He’s working. Faith gets a whole lot more challenging when the answer is still invisible.

That’s exactly where we find the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom in today’s scripture reading. They were going into battle against Moab, but after traveling for seven days, they ran out of water. Their armies and animals were in serious trouble. The situation looked desperate, and King Jehoram immediately began blaming God for the problem.

Jehoshaphat, however, asked a much better question, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here?” They found Elisha, and when Elisha sought the Lord, God gave them an unusual instruction. He told them to make the valley full of ditches because water was coming, even though they wouldn’t see wind or rain.

Imagine being one of those soldiers. You’re exhausted, thirsty, and probably wondering why someone is asking you to dig holes in the ground. You might be thinking, “We came here for water, not a landscaping project!” But they followed the instructions and the next morning, the valley was filled with water.

This chapter gives us some powerful points about what to do when we can’t see what God is doing yet. Faith doesn’t always require us to understand what God is doing. Sometimes it simply requires us to trust Him enough to do what He’s asking us to do.

Below are three takeaways for you to consider today:

1. Don’t let your circumstances tell you what God is capable of

The first thing we see is that the kings became discouraged because of what they could see. They had no water, and they were in the middle of a wilderness. From their perspective, they were in trouble. Jehoram immediately said, “Alas! For the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.” Notice how quickly he interpreted the circumstances. There was no water, so he assumed God had brought them there to destroy them.

We can do the same thing. When something doesn’t go the way we expected, we can assume God has abandoned us. When the door closes, we think the opportunity is over. When the money isn’t there, we assume provision isn’t coming. When the answer hasn’t arrived, we assume God isn’t listening. But circumstances don’t get to determine God’s faithfulness.

Maybe you’re in a season right now where you can’t see how things are going to work out. Perhaps you’re waiting for something you’ve prayed about for a long time. Maybe you’ve been obedient, but you’re still looking at an empty valley. Don’t let what you see convince you that God isn’t working. Your circumstances may be real, but they’re not the whole story. God sees what you can’t see.

2. Sometimes God asks you to prepare for what you can’t see

Elisha gave the kings a strange instruction, “Make this valley full of ditches.” There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. There wasn’t a rainstorm coming. There wasn’t even a little puddle to encourage them. Yet God told them to prepare.

This is one of those moments where obedience probably felt a little ridiculous. Imagine digging ditches in a dry valley while you’re already exhausted and thirsty. Somebody probably had to say, “Are we sure this is what we’re supposed to be doing?” But God was asking them to make room for what He was about to provide. Sometimes God will ask us to prepare before we see the provision.   The times when we think we are waiting on God are usually the times the He is waiting on us to get ready.

Maybe you’re praying for a new opportunity, but God is asking you to prepare now. Maybe you’re asking Him for growth in your ministry, but He’s asking you to prepare your heart and your leadership. Maybe you’re praying for a breakthrough in your family, but He’s asking you to start changing the way you communicate. Maybe you’re asking God for direction in your career, but He’s prompting you to develop skills, make connections, or take a step of faith.

The ditch comes before the water. That doesn’t mean every plan we make is guaranteed to succeed. It means that when God gives us direction, obedience often comes before evidence. Sometimes we’re waiting for God to give us the water while God is waiting for us to dig the ditch. Ask yourself, “What can I do today to prepare for what I’m praying for?”

If you’re praying for God to work through you, prepare yourself. If you’re praying for a ministry opportunity, get ready. If you’re praying for restoration in a relationship, start by allowing God to work on your own heart. If you’re asking God for something new, don’t be afraid to prepare before you see it. Faith isn’t passive. Sometimes faith looks like picking up a shovel to start digging.

3. God can provide in ways you never expected

God told them something very specific, He said: “You will not see wind, nor will you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water.” I love that because God didn’t say, “You’ll see the storm coming.” He specifically told them they wouldn’t see the normal signs they were looking for or might expect. God was going to provide, but He wasn’t going to do it in the way they expected.

Sometimes we put God in a box because we’ve decided what an answer is supposed to look like. We tell God how the door needs to open, who needs to call, how much money needs to come in, or what circumstances need to change. Then God does something completely different and we’re surprised.

Maybe the answer comes through a person you never expected. Maybe the opportunity comes through a door you weren’t looking at. Maybe God changes you before He changes the circumstances. Maybe the provision comes in pieces instead of all at once.  God isn’t limited to the method we’ve imagined.

Think about your own life. You may be asking God to change someone else, while God is working on you. You may be asking Him to remove a difficult situation, while He is giving you grace to walk through it. You may be asking for one particular opportunity, while God is preparing something completely different. Don’t decide what God can do based on how little you can see.

The water came without the wind and rain they expected. God didn’t need to follow their expectations to fulfill His promise. That is encouraging because sometimes we are watching the sky waiting for a cloud when God is already preparing the valley.

There is another part of this chapter that is easy to overlook. The kings didn’t receive the answer because they had everything figured out. They received direction when they sought the Lord. This is an important point. When you don’t know what to do, seek God. When you don’t understand the situation, seek God. When you’re frustrated, seek God. When you’re tired of waiting, seek God.

Don’t allow uncertainty to push you away from God. Let it push you toward Him. The valley may look dry today, but that doesn’t mean it will stay dry. Maybe you’re in a dry place spiritually. Maybe you’re waiting for a financial breakthrough. Maybe you’re believing for something in your family. Maybe you’re carrying a ministry responsibility and wondering how you’re going to keep going. You may not see the wind. You may not see the rain. But God doesn’t need you to see the process to trust His ability to provide.

Today I want to encourage you to keep digging the ditches God has asked you to dig, even when you don’t see the water yet. Keep praying, keep obeying, keep preparing and keep showing up. Don’t allow an empty valley to convince you that God has forgotten you.

The Israelites couldn’t see where the water was coming from, but God already knew. Your job isn’t to create the water. Your job is to follow God’s direction and make room for what He wants to do. Sometimes your “ditch” is making the phone call you’ve been avoiding. Sometimes it’s preparing for the opportunity you’ve been praying for. Sometimes it’s forgiving someone. Sometimes it’s getting your heart ready for a new season. Sometimes it’s simply getting up tomorrow and being faithful again.

You may feel like you’re digging holes in a dry valley today, but don’t underestimate what God can do with your obedience. The valley that looks empty to you may already be part of God’s provision. Don’t tell God how to get the water to you, just get ready to receive it.  Preparation is your part, the water is God’s part.

Today’s scripture reading: 2 Kings 3

1 Now Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. 

2 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not like his father and mother; for he put away the sacred pillar of Baal that his father had made. 

3 Nevertheless he persisted in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin; he did not depart from them.

4 Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheepbreeder, and he regularly paid the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams. 

5 But it happened, when Ahab died, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

6 So King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. 

7 Then he went and sent to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?”

And he said, “I will go up; I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” 

8 Then he said, “Which way shall we go up?”

And he answered, “By way of the Wilderness of Edom.”

9 So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they marched on that roundabout route seven days; and there was no water for the army, nor for the animals that followed them. 

10 And the king of Israel said, “Alas! For the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”

11 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of the Lord by him?” So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.”

12 And Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

13 Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” But the king of Israel said to him, “No, for the Lord has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.”

14 And Elisha said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you. 

15 But now bring me a musician.” Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him. 

16 And he said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Make this valley full of ditches.’ 

17 For thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.’ 

18 And this is a simple matter in the sight of the Lord; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. 

19 Also you shall attack every fortified city and every choice city, and shall cut down every good tree, and stop up every spring of water, and ruin every good piece of land with stones.”

20 Now it happened in the morning, when the grain offering was offered, that suddenly water came by way of Edom, and the land was filled with water.

21 And when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, all who were able to bear arms and older were gathered; and they stood at the border. 

22 Then they rose up early in the morning, and the sun was shining on the water; and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood. 

23 And they said, “This is blood; the kings have surely struck swords and have killed one another; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!”

24 So when they came to the camp of Israel, Israel rose up and attacked the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they entered their land, killing the Moabites. 

25 Then they destroyed the cities, and each man threw a stone on every good piece of land and filled it; and they stopped up all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees. But they left the stones of Kir Haraseth intact. However the slingers surrounded and attacked it.

26 And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not. 

27 Then he took his eldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall; and there was great indignation against Israel. So they departed from him and returned to their own land.

Journal:

• What situation in my life currently feels like a dry valley?
• Have I allowed my circumstances to make me question God’s ability or faithfulness?
• What “ditch” might God be asking me to dig right now as I prepare for what I’m praying for?
• Am I waiting to see evidence before I’m willing to obey?
• Have I been telling God how I want Him to answer instead of trusting Him to answer in His way?
• What is one practical step of obedience I can take today, even if I don’t see the outcome yet?

Laid to Rest

_{Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. ~ Mark 15:46}

Have you ever finished an exhausting project and thought, Finally, I can rest? There’s something satisfying about completing an assignment that has required everything you had to give. You finally reach the end, take a deep breath, and know the work is finished.

When Jesus had finished His earthly mission, after the unimaginable suffering of the cross, His body was lovingly wrapped and placed in a borrowed tomb. The beatings were over. The mocking had ended. The nails had been removed. The suffering was finished, and His work of paying for our sin was completed in this world.

From the disciples’ perspective, however, everything looked hopeless. The One they had followed for more than three years was dead. Their dreams seemed buried behind a massive stone. But God wasn’t finished. What looked like the end was actually the beginning of the greatest victory in history.

While Scripture doesn’t answer every question about what took place between Jesus’ death and resurrection, it leaves no doubt about the outcome. Death would not hold Him, the grave would not keep Him, sin was defeated and the resurrection was coming.

Isn’t that often how God works? There are seasons when all we can see is the tomb. We think a relationship has died. A dream has ended, a ministry opportunity has disappeared or a financial situation seems beyond repair. Yet God specializes in bringing life where we only see endings. Because Jesus conquered death, no situation is beyond His power.

Here are a few practical ways to live each day in this hope.

1. Trust God when you can’t yet see the outcome. His silence never means He has stopped working.
2. Give your impossible situations to Him in prayer instead of carrying them alone.
3. Remember God’s past faithfulness whenever you’re tempted to lose hope.
4. Share the hope of the resurrection with someone who needs encouragement.

I’ve seen some of God’s greatest miracles happen while it seems nothing was happening at all. Waiting seasons are rarely wasted seasons. God is often accomplishing things we can’t see yet. The disciples thought they were attending a funeral, but God was preparing a resurrection. What a difference three days can make.

Here are some ways you can get started today:

• Pray over one situation that seems impossible.
• Thank God for His faithfulness in past difficult seasons.
• Encourage someone who is walking through disappointment.
• Read the resurrection accounts with fresh hope.

Today I want to encourage you to place every hopeless situation into the hands of the Savior who defeated death itself. If He can bring life out of an empty tomb, He can certainly breathe fresh hope into the circumstances you’re facing today. Trust His timing, rest in His faithfulness, and remember that God is never finished simply because you can’t see what He’s doing. Sunday is always coming.

Today’s scripture reading: Mark 15:42-47

 42 Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 

43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 

44 Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. 

45 So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 

46 Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 

47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.

Journal:

• What situation feels buried in my life today?
• Am I trusting God’s timing?
• How has God brought life out of difficult seasons before?
• What hope does the resurrection give me today?
• Who needs encouragement from me this week?

Serving is ministering

That also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem. ~ Mark 15:41

Have you ever thought, I’m not really in ministry. Maybe you’ve imagined that ministry is only for pastors, missionaries, or people standing behind a pulpit with a microphone. If that’s your picture of ministry, today’s passage might completely change the way you see yourself. God has called all of His people to be ministers of the gospel.

When we hear the word minister, we often think of preaching, teaching, or leading a church. While those are certainly forms of ministry, the Bible paints a much bigger picture. Jesus Himself said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28 The greatest act of ministry Jesus ever performed wasn’t delivering a sermon. It was laying down His life.

In today’s passage, Mark tells us that many women followed Jesus and ministered to Him. At first, that statement almost seems surprising. How could anyone minister to the Son of God? Didn’t He have everything He needed? The answer is found in the meaning of the word itself.

These women served Him by opening their homes, preparing meals, providing hospitality, supporting His ministry financially and creating places where Jesus and His disciples could rest and be refreshed during their travels. They weren’t standing behind a pulpit. They were faithfully serving. That realization has really opened up my understanding of ministry.

At the beginning of Luke 8, we see Joanna, Susanna, and many other women supported Jesus’ ministry with their own resources. Peter’s mother-in-law ministered by preparing a meal after Jesus healed her. In Acts 13, believers ministered to the Lord through prayer and fasting.

Ministry happens anywhere love is put into action. That means every one of us has opportunities to minister every day. Maybe it’s through delivering a meal to someone recovering from surgery, a handwritten note of encouragement, watching a friend’s children so they can rest, giving generously, praying faithfully or listening when someone needs a friend. Every act of love done in Jesus’ name is ministry.

Here are a few practical ways to become a minister today:

• Look for one practical need you can meet this week. Ministry often begins with simply noticing what someone else needs.
• Serve without expecting recognition. The greatest ministry is often unseen by everyone except God.
• Ask the Holy Spirit each morning, “Lord, who can I encourage today?”
• Remember that kindness is one of the most powerful sermons you’ll ever preach.

One of the things I’ve discovered is that some of the people who have impacted my life the most never stood behind a microphone. They quietly served, faithfully loved people, and made everyone around them feel seen. Their ministry wasn’t flashy, but it looked exactly like Jesus.

And let’s be honest, sometimes ministry looks a lot less glamorous than we imagine. It may involve washing dishes after a church event, stacking chairs, or making another pot of coffee. Somehow the coffee always disappears faster than the volunteers! But every act of service matters when it’s done for the Lord.

Here is how you can get started today:

• Ask God to show you one person you can serve this week.
• Look for practical ways to meet someone’s needs.
• Pray for those who serve quietly behind the scenes.
• Thank someone whose faithful service has encouraged you.

Today I want to encourage you to see yourself as a minister wherever God has placed you. You don’t need a title to serve His people. Every act of kindness, every encouraging word, every meal prepared, every prayer offered, and every sacrifice made in love is ministry. Follow the example of Jesus by becoming a servant of all, and you’ll discover that some of the greatest Kingdom work happens through ordinary people who simply choose to love others well.

Today’s scripture reading: Mark 15:33-41

 33 Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 

34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

35 Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, “Look, He is calling for Elijah!” 

36 Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.”

37 And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.

38 Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 

39 So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”

40 There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, 

41 who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

Journal:

• How have I limited my definition of ministry?
• What gifts has God given me to serve others?
• Who needs encouragement from me today?
• Am I serving with joy or obligation?
• What simple act of kindness can I do this week?