Carina Francke

Good news are always welcome, but more so if it breaks through a barrier of bad news that only proclaims hopelessness and death.

2 Kings 6:24 – 2 Kings 7 tells about a famine that was the inevitable fate of the inhabitants of Samaria after the Syrians besieged the city. Food and water supplies could not be replenished from the outside and available food was unaffordable.

However, this portion of Scripture also records how completely different people react in a crisis and how those from whom you expect it the least, come to the fore and turn out to be the heroes of the crisis.

The king of Samaria was dejected and saw no deliverance; he wanted to kill the prophet Elisha and blamed God for their misery. His officer shared his pessimism - he responded cynical on the message of hope that deliverance was on its way.

The prophet Elisha on the other hand, trusted God and delivered His promise to the king and his officer that the next day there will be food in abundance in the city. The latter sneers at the news.

Unaware of this news within the walls of the city, four cast-out leprous men at the outside of the city gate decided to do something about their fate rather than sit and wait for death. At twilight, they decided to surrender to the Syrian army and accept what will happen to them: "Let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die" (2 Kings 7:4). They could not believe their luck - the soldiers fled and left the camp intact! There was food in abundance and the four of them went from tent to tent and ate, drank and greedily took whatever they could put their hands on,  until their conscience convicted them: "We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent. If we wait until morning light, punishment will come upon us. Now therefor, come, let us go and tell the king's household" (2 Kings 7:9)

They became the heroes of the story! They were the bearers of a good message, a lifesaving message: God is the marvellous Provider and overcoming Warrior of the battle!

You and I also have a choice how we handle crises. The natural inclination is to look for a scapegoat, to blame God and to think and talk negatively. Sometimes though, our hearts and prayers have to "surrender" to the possible side of hope to remind ourselves of what God is able to do. Then we must turn back and give the good news to ourselves and others: God can! He already did! He is the Author of good news!

Prayer: I declare that no circumstance will put me under because God can provide; He is able to crumble sieging armies of fear and desperateness to nothing, and use me to tell of His miraculous intervention.  Amen