“Why are we sitting here until we die?” 2 Kings 7:3 NKJV
“When continuing as you are is not an option, doing nothing is not a solution.”
My thoughts today are about “a better option.”
Have you ever heard the saying, “between a rock and hard place?” Jonathan and his armor bearer faced a fierce enemy and just such a challenging difficulty, and their path forward was between a rock and a hard place. See 1 Samuel 14:4 NKJV. Listen to Jonathan’s courageous faith, though sorely outnumbered, “It may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.” 1 Samuel 14:1-14 NKJV. You don’t know what God will do until you give Him the opportunity to do something. Never project your own limitations onto God.
Sometimes life presents you with predicaments for which there are no easy answers. It’s those times in life when where you are not where you need to be; it’s those times when what you’ve been doing isn’t working as you need. If you keep doing what you’ve been doing that hasn’t been working, you will likely keep getting the same or similar results that will remain unsatisfactory. Albert Einstein called such behavior, “the definition of insanity.”
It was a time of great difficulty in Samaria. A lengthy siege of Samaria by Syria had depleted the available reserves of food for the captive city. Things were desperate. Inside the city there was starvation; outside the city was a conquering army who was powerful and merciless. Four lepers were caught in the middle of the fracas. That was a terrible predicament to be in. Leprosy would eventually take their lives; the Syrians could likely kill them sooner; starvation would happen before either. One thing for sure, their fate was certain if remaining where they were.
When continuing as you are is not an option, doing nothing is not your solution. The lepers eventually reasoned, “Why are we sitting here until we die?” 2 Kings 7:1-11 NKJV. They decided to look for a better option. The Syrians at least had food and maybe, just maybe, they might show mercy. I’ll let you read the story to find what they decided to do, and what happened when they looked for a better option. They took a chance that was uncertain as to outcome; they put themselves in God’s hands, and saw God work in ways they could not have dreamed. That could be your solution today.
How is life working for you right now? Maybe you are still trying ways that haven’t worked – going your own way, living as you please, using God rather than serving Him. Is it time for a change? There are several life-lessons you can draw from this wonderful little story of misery and miracles.
(1) Problems present possibilities you would not previously consider. Read vs. 3. Your predicament can be the best thing that happened to you, if it pushes you to action instead of paralyzing you with inaction. (2) Life can be uncertain, you will need courage. Read vs. 4. Life does not always tell you how some things are going to end.
(3) Make God your first and best option. Read vs. 5-7. When you allow the possibility for something good to happen, God gets involved for your benefit. See Psalm 103:2-6 NKJV. (4) Success is not a secret to be kept. Read vs. 8-11. Be generous to share your good fortune with others. Maybe today is your chance to see what God can do with your situation. Someone encouraged you; encourage others with your story.
My prayer for you today is that you discover the greatness of God in everyday life.