Some of the most amazing stories of God’s supernatural provision and providence are found in II Kings 2-8. The story recorded in chapters six and seven is about a drought in the land that was so severe that the people began eating their own children.
In chapter seven we read the story about four lepers who are forced with a decision that could’ve led to their death either way; either starve to death or approach the camp of the enemy Arameans in hopes they would have some food knowing they risked being killed. Here’s the story.
3 Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? 4 If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’—the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.”
5 At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, no one was there, 6 for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” 7 So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.
8 The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp, entered one of the tents and ate and drank. Then they took silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also.
9 Then they said to each other, “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves.
After reading this story, at least two things come to mind that could encourage us on our journey through this pandemic. First, regardless of how badly the food chain gets disrupted and or how widespread the foot shortage may become, you and I can be at complete peace knowing God can do the unimaginable and impossible to sustain us. I love how God frightened the enemy by making them hear the sound of an army when there really wasn’t one—so frightened that they ran for their lives leaving everything behind for the lepers to feast on.
And secondly, regardless of our current circumstances, this pandemic presents us with a great opportunity to testify to the amazing grace of God. My favorite verse in this story is found in verse 9. Again, “9 Then they said to each other, “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves”.
Friends, to receive the grace of God that grants us the gift of being at peace with God and not telling our lost friends is not right. And to have the peace of God that passes all understanding and not share that with those who are filled with anxiety is also, not right.
May it not be so with you and me that we hoard God’s grace from anyone, but be ready in any and every situation to share about the supernatural ways God has delivered you in desperate times. This is a day of good news!!!
I love to tell the story, Mike Altena