27-Jul-2024 – Honour the appointed servants of God in your life
As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her. – 2 Kings 4:30
In the Old Testament, prophets played a crucial role in the lives of the people of Israel. Their duties were to hear the word of God as and when He revealed it to them and convey His messages to the people. Often, these messages were directed to the kings, who were responsible for the welfare of the entire kingdom.
In this chapter, we see the prophet Elisha performing supernatural works in the name of the LORD God. The Shunammite woman, knowing that Elisha was a prophet of God, served him by providing food whenever he passed through her way and even prepared a room with all necessary facilities for him.
If we examine the motive behind all the service she did for the prophet of God, we find that she did not seek any favor in the courts of the king nor did she desire anything in return. Even when Elisha learned of her barrenness, she did not serve him to receive a blessing and bear children. She simply believed that honoring this man of God was equivalent to honoring God.
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. – 1 Peter 1:7
Our faith must go through trials or examinations to prove its quality. This woman faced such a test. Elisha blessed her by prophesying that she would bear a child by the same time the following year, and it came to pass. She gave birth to a son. However, the son later died for an unknown reason. In her time of grief, she went to the prophet’s place. By studying her actions, we can clearly see that she believed the prophet could do something by the grace of God.
In our lives, God uses the establishment of the church through various ministries. Shepherds, prophets, preachers, and teachers receive instructions from the Spirit of God and serve the Word of God, both Logos and Rhema, according to His will.
Believing the words of the appointed men of God in your life is an important aspect of your Christian walk with God. Sometimes, we may have bad experiences or encounter unexpected outcomes while following in faith. In those situations, we need to step back and reflect: Did we follow the men and their words, or did we follow God and His words through them? If we followed men, we might react negatively. But if we followed the words of God, we will discuss with the men of God appointed by Him and seek together through prayers to understand and set things right.
Prayer
Dear loving heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and grace. Thank You for teaching us about the important and practical aspect of following You through the service of Your appointed men of God in our lives. Help us to believe that their ministry is ordained by You and for our good. In both positive and negative situations, help us not to judge but to depend on Your leading and guiding. I pray in the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen!
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