ODJ: in the light of God

April 15, 2014 

READ: 2 Kings 4:1-7 

The widow . . . cried out, “My husband who served you is dead and you know how he feared the LORD. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves” (v.1).

Pastor G. Campbell Morgan was quoted as saying: “What we do in the crisis always depends on whether we see the difficulties in the light of God, or God in the shadow of the difficulties.” When people face any kind of crisis, they tend to look through the lens of fear and anxiety.

The widow in 2 Kings 4 seemed to see her difficulties in the light of God—not God in the shadow of her difficulties. Though her husband had been a member of a “group of prophets”, she faced the prospect of her two sons being forced into slavery to work off the family debt (v.1; see also Leviticus 25:39-41).

In the midst of this crisis, the widow turned to the right source for help. She turned to Elisha, who represented God (2 Kings 4:1). Next, she acknowledged the limitations of her own resources to bring resolution to her crisis (v.2). Thirdly, she leaned on others for assistance (v.3). She didn’t let pride prevent her from reaching out to others who could help. Finally, she followed Elisha’s specific instructions and God provided miraculously for the needs of her family (vv.4-6). The miracle supplied her with a marketable commodity to use in paying off her debt, left enough to support her family and enabled them to remain together. Her response to the crisis proved that she saw her difficulties in the light of God.

Experiencing family and personal crises can be frightening, exhausting and even debilitating. But we can rest assured that God is near, sees what’s happening and is concerned about us. Our response is not to cower under anxiety and fear, but to see all of our difficulties in the light of God’s power, faithfulness and love. —Marvin Williams


365-day plan› 1 Kings 6:1-38

MORE
Read the remaining verses of 2 Kings 4 (vv.8-44) and note the consistent themes of the chapter. 
NEXT
How have you responded in the past when faced with a family or personal crisis? What step of faith can you take today to show that you see your difficulties in the light of God?