Recovery Devotional 295 The God of Last Resort

JMD Devotional 295 2 Kings 6:31-33 The God of Last Resort

(The context is the city of Samaria has been under siege by the Syrians, so that everyone is starving, and even a few have resorted to cannibalism. The Samaritan King, having nothing but God to lash out against, considers taking Elisha’s head as if the prophet of God were responsible for their misfortune. But the King’s senses return when he confronts Elisha, and appeals to him (and to God) for counsel).

Then he said, May God do so to me, and more also, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day! Now Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him. And the king sent a man from before him [to behead Elisha]. But before the messenger arrived, Elisha said to the elders, See how this son of [Jezebel] a murderer is sending to remove my head? Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold it fast against him. Is not the sound of his master's feet [just] behind him? And while Elisha was talking with them, behold, [the messenger] came to him [and then the king came also]. And [the relenting king] said, This evil is from the Lord! Why should I any longer wait [expecting Him to withdraw His punishment? What, Elisha, can be done now]?

God’s greatest critics are those who once trusted Him just a little. The passion, anger and rage that I have seen in people’s response to my witnessing to them tells me that they feel that God had let them down. Is it not ludicrous to bear such anger, and to hold a grudge while professing not to believe in the perceived offender? In actuality, they believe about the same as they always did, just enough to use His name in vain when they hit their own thumb with a hammer!

A group of deacons were meeting in an extended session, wrestling over issues splitting their church, debating internal politics, and discussing the departure of tithing families; when one deacon said, “Maybe we should stop and pray?” His Brother to his left retorted, “Has it come to that?!”

Dear God,

How foolish I have been to delay seeking Your counsel until all of my other resources and ideas have been exhausted! May You be my first resort, my first impulse, my standing operating procedure. Forgive me for the times I only believed enough to be mad at You, but not enough for Your divine intervention. Help me to have the faith that prayer changes things.

Amen

All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by

the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)

Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation

*New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)

I originally produced these blogs between 2006 and 2007, which were then published in my book, JMD Recovery Devotionals. In 2010, I am sending these out to a few people as I review them and see if my point of view has changed.

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