The Blame Game and My Friends, the Lepers

Sometimes I open the Word and "bam" get hit right away with His Word for me...and it doesn't take rocket science to realize He is saying something.  That bolt of lightening (or revelation) just happened as I perused the words of 2 Kings 6 and 7.


2 Kings 6 is the chapter in the Old Testament where the prophet king of Aram is once again getting too close for comfort to the king of Israel - camping near his turf.  Elisha, the servant and prophet of God, who has the listening ear of the king of Israel, is awakened by his servant one morning to be told they are surrounded by the enemy.  (This was probably before he even had his first cup of coffee!!)  Elisha, in turn, tells his servant to not be afraid..."Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."  Don't you just love it??!!  And Elisha prays for his servant's eyes to be opened to see "those who are with them".  God strikes the Arameans with blindness and Elisha leads them right into the king of Israel's territory.  Then the king of Israel asks Elisha (and this is the part I like) what to do with his enemy...should he kill them?  Elisha basically tells him no, to respond in the "opposite spirit" (the natural way our flesh would respond)...and feed them (a feast it says) and send them on their way.  An opportunity presents itself and God says to do something totally against what our natural mind would perceive.  Hmmm....  the king obeys and the king of Aram leaves and stops harassing the king of Israel.  And all is right with the world...for a moment.


HOWEVER, trouble doesn't stay away for long, and "some time later" that same enemy is back and once again lays siege on the city.  We don't get a lot of "rest" in this battle, do we?  Now, however, the king is quick to blame Elisha for his trouble (vs. 31).  If only he had killed him when he had the chance, this wouldn't be happening (however disobedient to God's command....).  He goes to Elisha to complain and blame.  Do we (I) find ourselves in situations where we did what we knew was obedience to something God told us to do....and the situation only gets worse or doesn't see any improvement at all?  The battle comes back to say fight some more?  My friends, sometimes it takes time to see the blessings of obedience.   Elisha then tells the king, don't worry, by this time tomorrow you will see differently (chpt. 7:1).....(open my eyes, Lord!!)


Then.....and this verse jumps out at us....verse 2....the officer on whose arm "the king was leaning"...says how can this be?  Whoa!  On whose Arm am I leaning??  Do I have voices that say...how can this be...how can God turn this around?  ON WHOSE ARM AM I LEANING??


I'm going to move this quickly now....in a nutshell (read the rest of chapter 7...) 4 lepers (rather dirty people) decide they have nothing to lose and go into the Aramean camp to solve their problem.  The camp is deserted and all the food and plunder left behind (God sent the enemy running!) The lepers begin to gather and decide to inform the royal palace of the unexpected and rather miraculous event. (again the king has a rather difficult time believing and seeing).  But...it happened, the city is rescued.  And the arm on whom the king was leaning is no more.


Do we blame God (really, that is what we tend to do at times) and complain things are not as we thought they would be (even though we were obedient....friends, the battle is not finished yet and the scenario not completed).


Do we lean on an arm of what we "see" rather than on Whom we do not see? 


Are we missing where the blessings might really be....among something dirty or not pleasant that is an unlikely place to see a blessing (the lepers were the least likely to bring good news).  The lepers were the first to be blessed and fed...they had nothing to lose and no expectations but HOPE!  Are we looking in the wrong places for the "blessings"?


Do we need to get off the bench of blame (I trusted You and now look where I am?) and lean on His Arm (Deut. 33:27) and pray "Open my eyes, Lord, so I may see!" (2 Kings 6:17). 


Are you praying for work/jobs in this unstable economy, healing in bodies, unsaved husbands or children no longer walking with Him, believing God for miracles on the battlefield or any number of unthinkable and extremely difficult sieges upon our "city" of life... or simply trusting God for your future?  Lord, help us to see the blessings in all the right places.


My friends, in those circumstances of our lives where we are living faithfully, praying and yet to see.....I pray for OPEN EYES OF OUR SPIRIT TO SEE....Only HE can scatter the enemy and leave the plunder to bless us. 


And an ending note....there were four lepers ...friends...support....grab those friends who can pray and believe with you and TOGETHER you will reap the plunder :) It's more rewarding with friends anyway!  You are not alone in this battle!