03/07/2024
WHAT DRAGGED THE 4 LEPERS INTO THE HOST OF THE SYRIAN? (Ref: 2 Kings 7:1-16)
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✓ Hello friends, what really drags us into what we always do? We are either dragged by the word of God or by our thoughts. When everything we do is influenced by our thought, we shall but only suffer. But when it's by the word of God, we can enter into what God has prepared for us.
✓ Now we can learn this from the experience of the 4 lepers. When famine struck the land of Samaria, and King Ben- Hadad of Syria besieged their city, they were dragged into following their thoughts. Now they could only see death all around them. This is why they said,
" If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die." (2 Kings 7:4)
✓ Friends, the people who are dragged by their thoughts can't but only see such things as death and failure. See, these lepers kept saying "we shall die", "we shall but die"! And this is what usually happen to us. Rather than listening to the what the word of God says in a given situation, we listen to our thoughts! Friends, in any given situation, whatever tells you that you're going to die is not God but your thoughts!
✓ However, the lepers reached their turning point when they got tired of being dragged by their thought. The saying that,..."We shall die in the city, and if we sit here still, we die also!" means they were tired of the mind of death and agreed to take their chances with the syrian Army! The question now is, what killed fear of death in their heart and influenced them into such a strange decision of saying,
".. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die."?
✓ Now, these lepers could realize that what was in their thought only subjected them to the fear of death so, they repented of that life, and believed in the word of God which was earlier spoken by Elisha, saying,
" Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria" (2 Kings 7:1)
✓ Yes, through the word of Elisha, they saw food in the gate of the city! Now they were hearing what the servant of God said in their heart. Oh, there is food in the gate of Samaria as the man of God said so, whether the syrian Army kills us or not, let us fall in there! This was the heart and decision influenced only by the word of God. And as they stepped out, they found out that God had driven away all the syrian soldiers.
✓ Everyone, when we step out according to the promise of God's word, we can meet with the preparations of God. As these lepers were dragged by what God spoke thru Elisha, they could meet with all kinds of provisions; food, garments, horses and water. We keep meeting with misfortunes, disappointments, and troubles because, rather than following the guidance of God's word, we follow what our thoughts tell us.
★ In Luke 5, Peter and his partners went to the sea to do fishing. When they launched their nets according to their own thoughts, they toiled all the night and caught nothing. But when they turned and launched the net according to the word of Jesus, they enclosed great multitude of fishes! The question is what brought the difference?
✓ Friends, what we can see is that Jesus showed up in the break of the morning and said,
"Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon.. said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. (Luke 5:4-6)
✓ Wow, when Peter received the word of Jesus, and allowed the same to influence his next step of action, he could experience the extraordinary. Yes, at first it was difficult for Peter to accept what Jesus said. The word of Jesus came unto him saying, "Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught". This word was not good news in the heart of Peter! He could think, Aah, why is he telling me to launch in the break of the morning? This is ridiculous! Fish is caught only in the night! And this is why he tried to give excuse, "we toiled all night, and caught nothing".
✓ You see, as long as he kept in his own judgement, he was only troubled. But when he thought deeply, he found out that even though he followed the normal standard procedure, he could still fail. As a result, he lost hope in his own ways and methods. And that's why he said, "Nevertheless, at thy word, I will let down the net". The word "Nevertheless" means "although it's not according to what I know, what I feel, how the situation is, I will do what Jesus tells me!
✓ Loving brethren, the people who experience the works of God are those who believe the word of God regardless of what their thought tells them! When we step out to do things according to the word of God, from then on, everything is done by him. See, Jesus didn't tell Peter to try but to let down the nets for a catch!When God says he will heal you, stop seeing death in sickness but, healing! When Elisha said, a measure of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and barley for 2 shekels, the lepers saw food at the gate. What you see in the promise of the word is very important. You must see the end from the beginning. This is the sight of faith! Thank you
