The World Focuses on What They Don't Have

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:1

Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves."

Insights: Verse one reveals to us how the world looks at problems.  Our focus is often times on what we don’t have and not on the One who can meet our every need.  Now I do not wish to minimize this woman’s situation.  She has just lost her husband whom, we presume, she deeply loved.  He was a prophet (for modern day comparison: he was like a preacher) and apparently not very wise when it came to finances.  He left his wife with a huge debt and now the bill collectors had begun to call.  Now in this time in history, it was in the bill collector’s rights to take this woman’s children as payment for the debt and put those children into the slave market.  At this point in the story, this reality is all the woman could see.  She was about to lose everything she really valued in this world.  Her husband was gone and now her children were about to be gone as well.  I have a dear pastor friend who often says something to this degree, “The only people who are candidates for a miracle are those in need.”  Well, this woman is in terrible trouble and desperately in need of a miracle.  Her focus may be only on what she presently does not have (the money to pay the debt), but she at least knows who to run to in her desperation.  She cried out to the prophet of God.  What you need to understand is that in those days, God spoke through the prophets.  So, by going to the prophet, this woman was really going to the Lord God and crying out, “Help me!”  Beloved, when you are facing crises in your life, I pray your focus gets lifted off your circumstances and quickly rises to the Lord God.  He is the only One who can meet your need.  Lift your eyes to the heavens from where your help comes and watch the Lord provide a miracle in your life.  Then go and tell others what the Lord has done for you!

Questions:

1. When situations arise in your life that are less than desirable, where does your mind tend to focus?
2. What obstacle are you presently facing that you need the Lord to intervene and perform a miracle?

Prayer: Father, I so often fall prey to negative thoughts when circumstances do not go as I wish.  Help me to recognize You are still a miracle working God and desire radical life changes in those with whom You are interacting.  Help me to recognize Your involvement in my life. Amen.