By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
FRIDAY
THEME: FROM MISFORTUNE TO FORTUNE
SCRIPTURES:
2 Kings 7:1 – “Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’”
Philippians 4:19 – “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
REFLECTIONS:
Every faithful believer will testify that the God we serve lives; He is all-powerful and a situation-changer. He can turn things around just at the stroke of the hour. He does not need any effort to act. He is perfect in His actions. His ways are not easily understood, but those who wait on Him will surely renew their strength and persevere without fail. When circumstances we encounter look so disparaging, confusing, and hopeless, the God of compassion and love will restore hope to us. The power of God is the guarantee for our deliverance and safety. Rest assured that God will turn any misfortune you may endure into a fortune for you. In His power, He will take away the prefix “mis,” which is negative and means bad, terrible, and wrong, and give you a “fortune.” – wealth, opulence, treasure, etc.
Samaria faced a terrible siege by Syria (2 Kings 6:24-33). This caused severe food insecurity. No food was available to buy – a dreadful situation for the entire populace. It got to the point that some of the people became cannibals (verse 28). Everything was costly. As the king passed by, a woman confronted him and asked for help because her child was to be consumed. In that precarious situation, when the woman asked for the king’s help, he responded in verse 27 – “And he said, “If the Lord does not help you, where can I find help for you? From the threshing floor or from the winepress?” It is a fact of life that if God does not help us, who can undoubtedly help us? No one except God can change our predicament.
The king, who had earlier blamed Elisha as the cause of the famine, had a change of mind and recognized that the calamity was from God. In verse 33, “ . . . the king said, “Surely this calamity is from the Lord; why should I wait for the Lord any longer?” “Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’” – 2 Kings 7:1. This was a prediction of abundance where there was nothing. A senior officer doubted this prophecy and said to the prophet in verse 2, “. . . Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” And he said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” Because God was in control, He caused the Syrians to flee, thinking a huge army was pursuing them when nobody was attacking them. Four lepers who decided to surrender to the Syrians got to their camp at night and found the place deserted (verses 4-7). They took enough booty and finally realized they needed to share the good news with the besieged people (verses 8-9).
That day, within 24 hours of Elisha’s prediction, food was abundant. So much wealth was gathered from the deserted camp of the Syrians. Verse 16 reads, “Then the people went out and plundered the tents of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord.” It happened “according to the word of the Lord.” Every word of God is trustworthy. The officer who doubted God’s word died in a stampede without tasting the food that came (verses 18-20). God intervened and changed such an abysmally hopeless situation into a day of abundance within 24 hours. The people of Samaria did not have to fight. God provided. They did not have to struggle; God supplied their need. God has the power to alter your misfortune. Trust Him, wait on Him, for in Him, your situation will change for the better. It does not matter how long it takes or how intense and incensed the situation may be; God has the final word. His final words are pronouncements of blessings and declaration of a fortune.
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
“My God Is Able” – Vinesong
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for His provisions; thank God for supplying your needs according to His promise; pray to trust God to take care of you and your family;
– Pray for the individuals, families, and communities that face severe famine; pray for displaced people; pray for God’s rescue of people under siege and bondage;
– Pray for Christians to trust God, call upon His name in good and bad times, and prove Him; pray for people who are struggling and assure them of God’s power to help them:
– Pray for our nation to be peaceful, progressive, and God-loving; pray for the children and youth of the country; pray for Christian youth to study God’s word and pray for His guidance.
