Elisha also knew what would happen in Samaria before anyone else in the land got wind of it. When the whole nation was still fixated on the problem of famine and hunger, Elijah knew and prophesied that there would be abundance. His mind could even grasp when it would happen.
For this reason, the word of God encourages us to renew our minds. Paul, writing to the Romans, said:
Romans 12: 1 – 2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
The New Living Translation renders verse 2 thus:
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
It is by drawing close to God and learning His word that we can renew our minds. Paul made this point clear in his letter to the Ephesians, where he also called upon them to renew their minds (Ephesians 4: 20 – 24). So, when God’s people are expecting new blessings, it is enlightened self-interest for us to move closer to God. Unless we move closer to God, we will not be able to perceive the blessings that God has prepared for the land. This is perhaps what happened in the event of the famine in Samaria. When Elisha prophesied that there would be abundance within twenty-four hours, the Bible says:
2Kings 7: 2 So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “Look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?”
The officer’s mind could not contemplate the possibility of a twenty-four-hour turn-around for the nation. His mind could not fathom the immense possibilities that exist in God. No wonder Paul wrote:
2Corinthians 2: 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
What this means for us as citizens of a nation looking forward to God’s blessings upon our land is that we must deliberately draw closer to God. We must invest strategic efforts into pursuing the spiritual rebirth of our people. Unless the people know God, they cannot do God’s kind of exploits (Daniel 11: 32b). It is as we draw nearer to God and obey Him that we can do on earth what God’s Spirit shows to us from heaven. Without divine encounter, the earthly manifestation of heavenly blessings may be delayed.
This week, please draw nearer to God, so that our land may experience divine blessings.
*to be continued.
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