Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
Adam and Eve sinned when they ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve realized that they were naked and that something had changed as a result of their […]
Proverbs 23:17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
Think for a second about that wealthy individual who lives in a nice house, drives a nice car, and is always rubbing shoulders with the most important people in the country. Maybe you have dreamed […]
Proverbs 22:1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.
What is the most valuable thing to you? Is it the amount of money in your pocket book or is it your reputation? It is one thing what you think of yourself, but it is […]
Proverbs 20:7 The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.
What you do will affect the lives of others. If you act as a fool, your children may be cursed. If you live your life in accordance with the will of God, then God will bless your children and your grandchildren.
Why […]
2 Kings 5:27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.
Gehazi the servant of Elisha committed a great sin when he ran after Naaman and obtained silver and garments for his personal use for the […]
Proverbs 19:27 Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. What is your personal pet sin? What is the area in your life that has caused you to stumble more times then you care to count? Whatever […]
Matthew 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
It all begins at the heart. A good man has a good heart and the result is good things. An evil man has an evil heart and the result of his life is evil. As your heart goes, so goes your life. You can have an evil heart and attempt to fool people for some time, but the wickedness of your heart will eventually reveal who you really are.
Christ teaches a lot about the heart during HIS ministry. You know that out of the abundance of the heart does your mouth speak. You know that you are to love the Lord your God with all your heart. You know that if you look at a woman and lust after her you commit adultery in your heart.
II Kings 5:27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.
Elisha had just exercised his faith in healing the leprosy of Naaman. When Naaman attempted to pay Elisha for Elisha�s faith, Elisha refused. However, Gehazi, Elisha�s servant, ran after Naaman and told a lie and received some treasures from Naaman. God had told Elisha what Gehazi had done and now, by faith, Elisha pronounces a punishment upon Gehazi because of Gehazi�s wickedness. Elisha understood that the same God who could heal Naaman could also make Gehazi diseased as a punishment for his sin.
Elisha probably preferred using his faith to do good in the world. However, Elisha understood that sometimes God has one to do something that is not pleasant. Elisha had to obey God in pronouncing judgment upon Gehazi so that you would understand that God is not pleased when one procures payment out of greed for God�s demonstration of power through ones life. Peter also had to deal with a man who attempted to purchase the power of the Holy Spirit.
The power of God as demonstrated through your life is not given to you for your personal wealth; it is given to you so that God might be glorified through you. When you lose focus of using God�s power for HIS glory and start to use it for your personal benefit, you actually bring discredit to God and these actions are an abomination unto the Lord.
All the good that Gehazi may had done for Elisha did not matter when Elisha pronounced a curse upon Gehazi and his family. Gehazi had sinned, and had at least created the image that Elisha could be bought and that all one had to do is bring payment and their problems would be taken care of. Elisha understood that his power was from God and that God would take care of his needs. Elisha thus by faith pronounced the curse and it came to pass. Gehazi left Elisha�s presence that very day a leper.
The world today has been feed a lot of prosperity preaching. Sermons like Jonathan Edwards �Sinners in the hands of an angry God� are not the predominant message. The world needs to understand that God is love and because of HIS love, HE will punish those who do not accept HIS free gift of salvation. The world does not understand how God could punish someone if HE really loves them. By faith you will proclaim the message of God�s love and HIS judgment.
Faith is used to bring glory to God. By pronouncing judgment upon Gehazi, Elisha caused all to realize that the power of God is not for sale. The power of God can be used in your life not only to do good things but also to allow bad things to happen. Elijah�s faith caused a famine for three and a half years so that God would be glorified.
The purpose of your life is to draw attention to God. God uses both good and evil to cause others to understand that HE is the only God. You need to be prepared to allow God to work through you. Yes, you would love to see God use you to do great good throughout the world, but God can also use you to be the bearer of bad news so that HE can remind the world that they need to repent from their evil ways. The important thing for you is to understand the will of God and obey. Do not attempt to second-guess God.
II Kings 4:16 And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
In Elisha�s travels, he would often pass through Shunem. There was a woman there who started providing meals and later built an apartment for Elisha on the roof of her house. Elisha wished to repay this woman but she indicated that she did not want anything. Elisha then asked Gehazi if he knew of any needs that this woman had and Gehazi replied that she had no children and her husband was old.
Elisha called the woman and informed her that God was going to perform a miracle in her life by giving her a son. Elisha had faith that what he asked God for God would perform. The widow however did not have the faith that she was going to have a son. She probably had already tried everything and prayed to God for many years all to no avail. While she recognized Elisha as a man of God, she just did not have the faith to see that what the man of God said was going to come to pass.
It was not the faith of the woman that gave her a son; it was the faith of Elisha that gave her a son. The woman may have been full of good works in serving the Lord, but she did not have the faith to see God open her womb and allow her to bear children because of her impossible circumstances. It did not matter that God had demonstrated to Abraham and Sarah his ability to bring children even in old age, this woman did not have the faith to believe that God was willing to give her the thing that she had always desired, a child.
This woman had evidently lost hope in every having a child. Instead, she focused upon pleasing the Lord and helping those who were about HIS business. It was because she had given up focusing upon the desire of her heart that she was able to focus on serving the Lord. By serving the Lord, the Lord gave her the desires of her heart.
This woman who God called great is both an example and a lesson to you today. You need to learn from her life and see how you should be looking to meet the needs of others. You should be looking for ministry opportunities rather then focusing on those things that you do or do not have. As you put your focus on doing the will of God and causing others to see God through your life, God will be able to bless you by providing for the things that you need. However, learn from this woman and do not ever become so harden that you are unwilling to believe that God can do the impossible through you.
God can do the impossible through you regardless of your faith. However, God is much more glorified when HE performs a miracle in accordance with your faith. This woman may have asked and prayed for a child in the past and did not receive it, but now was the time for her to claim the promise because God had revealed HIS will through Elisha.
When you hear the will of the Lord, it is your duty to believe and act accordingly. Do not hesitate or be reluctant. Instead, learn to believe that HE is faithful. Learn to understand HIS power and look forward to ways that HE might be glorified through your life. Be active in serving the Lord but do not serve the Lord for what you might receive in return, serve the Lord so that HE is glorified through your actions.
