Second Kings seems to open with a burst of the refreshing air of faith. After the reign of Ahab, God no doubt begins this book by reassuring the people both then and now that the past does not hinder the vast potential of faith in the present.
Now by faith I do not mean the absurd tenants of Secular Humanism draped with the robes of a human priesthood which says, "I believe it, therefore it is" or "I do not believe it, therefore it is not." Biblical faith is always a firm belief that God hath said-- and he will bring it to pass. As demonstrated in Hebrews chapter elven, this type of faith pleases God and moves man to action.
In these seven chapters we find an impressive list of the acts of faith.
By faith Elisha crosses Jordan on dry ground. (2:14)
By faith the armies of Israel are refreshed in a dry land. (3:16-17)
By faith the widow was delivered from bondage. (4:7)
By faith the mother received her dead raised to life. (4:36-37)
By faith the Syrian was cleansed. (5:14)
By faith the impossible was realized when the iron swam. (6:6)
By faith the hungry were fed. (7:16)
These were not the results of a dead faith that just sat around and hoped for the best. These were not the results of a dead faith that would not act because of obstacles or past failures. These were the results of a living faith in the Living God that moved men and women to action. We still need these kinds of results in our lives and ministries today. So are we acting or atrophying? Not just to act, but because faith demands it. What have you done by faith in what God has said in His word? How have you moved outside your comfort zone in an effort to live out your faith? So is your faith alive or dead? No matter the obstacles or the seeming certainty of failure, as we act in obedience to God's word we will find that we can echo the sentiments of the Shunammite woman, "It is well."
Daily Devotional-- Matthew 12:1-13; 22-45 Encounters with the Pharisees
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