Recovery Devotional 296 Insult of Disbelief

JMD Devotional 296 2 Kings 7:1,2 Insult of Disbelief

(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. A donkey’s head sells for 8 shekels of silver. 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 regains his senses at the prophet’s door, and asks for his counsel).

THEN ELISHA said, Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will sell for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria! Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, If the Lord should make windows in heaven, could this thing be? But Elisha said, You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.

Have you ever stopped to consider what our unbelief implies about God’s nature and character? If we do not believe in His Word we make Him out to be a liar.

If we do not believe in His power, we make Him out to be impotent.

If we do not believe in His ability to intervene we make Him out to be incapable.

If we do not believe in His desire to help us we make Him out to be indifferent.

If we do not believe in His commitment to us as His children, we make Him out to be negligent.

Is it not apparent how unbelief is grievous sin?

Which would hurt His reputation more; our believing in Him to bring about some great good that does not come to pass as we expected; or our refusal to trust in Him for anything beyond what we can do for ourselves? If we only trust God for that which we can deliver for ourselves, than we do not really trust God for anything at all.

In the course of the story, the Syrian army heard what sounded like a vastly superior army charging towards them; and they fled, leaving all of their tents, donkeys and provisions. They even left a trail of debris as they threw off the weight of their armor running home. When news of this reached Samaria, the starving population on their way to plunder the vacant Syrian camp trampled the disbelieving captain standing by the city’s gate.

Dear God,

Forgive me for what my unbelief has implied about what I think of You; please forgive my insult and treason and libel. You are not stingy, distant, aloof, powerless or incapable. When a request is not granted, there is a greater good in store for us that You will deliver at the appropriate time. Show us how misguided our disappointments (in You) are! Help us to be people of courageous faith without straying into presumption; help us to believe BIG again; and may that bring You glory. May mountains be moved!

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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