June 23

2 Kings 4:18-5:27, Acts 15:1-35, Psalm 141:1-10, Proverbs 17:23 



Pray: We’re all control freaks to some extent. There are some people who go to extremes with trying to control things and some others who are more relaxed, but most people do like some control over certain things in their lives. Paul and Barnabas (and the Gentile converts) encountered some control freaks in Jerusalem. Some Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses.” God was doing a new thing and they refused to see it. I think they refused to see it because they simply wanted control. What does God want to do in your life that you’re missing because you want to control things? What is God doing in your church that you may not even notice because your desire for control is so strong? Seek His forgiveness and pray for an awareness of the new thing God may be doing in your midst.

Read: It may seem odd to you. Others may think it’s strange, too. If God has a plan or even a miracle in store for you, why question His methods? When Elisha shut the door and laid down on top of a dead child with their faces touching, that seems odd. When he did it again, it seems no less odd. Then, the boy sneezes of all things. A dead child sneezes and comes back to life after a prophet lays on top of him. Who are we to question God’s methods, especially when the end result is a life restored? He has a plan. Let’s choose to trust Him no matter the method.

Edify: The miracles Jesus performed are amazing. One of the most preached and discussed is the feeding of 5,000. Yet, one of the least talked about miracles is very similar, but it’s WAY back in the Old Testament. In 2 Kings 4, Elisha performs a miracle and it’s actually during a time of severe famine. A hundred people ate from 20 loaves of bread and they were all full and some was left over. The numbers may be different in Jesus’ miraculous feeding, but the Truth is the same in both places: God has always been and will always be working miracles! May we always be about noticing the miraculous among us.

Practice: Greed can overtake us all, and it comes in lots of forms. We can be greedy with our finances, spending it all on ourselves or even saving so much we barely live the abundant life Jesus referred to. We can be greedy with our time, not giving any of it away to those in need or being willing to serve God’s Church. We can be greedy with our prayers, only praying for ourselves and not remembering anyone else. We can even be greedy with God’s grace, never telling anyone else about this amazing gift we’ve been given. Greed got the best of Gehazi, the prophet Elisha’s servant, and because he allowed it to get the best of him, the remainder of his life (and the life of his descendants) was cursed. Fight greed with all your might. It is a powerful force, but it can be defeated if we’re willing to stand against it.