Saturday, May 13, 2017

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IDENTIFY

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 4-5

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

 

Seen in this photo is the Jordan River as it enters the northern part of the Sea of Galilee. In our reading, General Naaman, a leper from Syria, dipped his body seven times in the Jordan and was completely healed. This part of the Jordan Valley is a tangle of dense thorn bushes and tropical vegetation. In the Hebrew Bible it is called the “jungle of the Jordan” (Jeremiah 12:5; 49:19).

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

 

Key Verse: 2 Kings 4:34

And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm.

Elisha identifies totally with this child. There had been an intervention of God in the child’s birth, and now in his return to life. God, in Jesus, has been involved with all of us, right from the beginning. We died spiritually. Christ, on the Cross, identified with us in our separation from life. He breathed into us the breath of life (John 20:19-22). This may have been a prophetic act by Jesus, predicting the time, seven weeks later, when the breath of God, as a rushing mighty wind, would fill the Upper Room (Acts 2:1-4). The sign of life for the child was to sneeze seven times and open his eyes. The sign of life at Pentecost, which continued throughout the history book of the early Church, was speaking in tongues, and life surged back into those who believed and received.
In today’s reading, the miracle of the oil teaches us that God provides according to our capacity to receive. The miracle of the flour in the pot and the supernatural provision of bread illustrate the power of Jesus, the Bread (flour) of Life, who removes the poison of sin which brings death. The cleansing of Naaman from leprosy is a powerful story of God’s grace when this proud Syrian General humbled himself. The greed of Gehazi, who became a leper, is a strong lesson for us all.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I pray that I will learn from my daily readings. The child in today’s reading opened his eyes as another sign of life. Please open the eyes of my understanding so that I may see with insight all that You would reveal to me. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

God, who healed Naaman, is our God! In the Fall of 1955, Doctors Gamble and Flak of Peterborough, Ontario, told the President and Dean of the Bible College where I was a student in residence that they did not expect me to survive. The students identified with me in fasting and prayer. In my perception it seemed that the school officials were swimming into my dorm room. I was delirious with a fever of 105 degrees. They identified with me in the laying on of hands. I felt immediately like I was under a cooling shower. The fever departed and I got up and dressed, got into my 1947 Plymouth car, drove to the hospital, and asked Emergency to call the doctor. I experienced a miracle! God had one or two things for me to do.

Yours for God’s miracles,

David

P.S. I promised the other day that I would share with you a March, 2000 newspaper article from The Ottawa Citizen about the conversion of Canada’s first Prime Minister. It’s a poor photo of part of the article, but the headline says it all (click on the photo to enlarge it)…

Sir John A

8 thoughts on “Saturday, May 13, 2017”

  1. Wonderful scripture and prayer, this morning, and stillness of the photo. Praise God, you are a miracle, David. Our Father knew the work you would do for His Kingdom. Amen? Blessings dearest saints, in the Lord. Such a calmness, in the quiet of light rain.

    Here is your song, Irene, Donald, Nan, and everyone who loves it:

    Michael W Smith – Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus (with lyrics)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMYZICnV2Ys

    Reply ↓

  2. Yes, wonderful blog. Love hearing about your healing and the Prime Minister Sir John A. MacDonald’s conversion. Thank you for your posting too Beverlee. God bless all you saints today!

    Reply ↓

      • Yes Pastor David it is a lovely blog today, the Lord certainly had lots of things for you to do for Him, over these many years. Even now you are ministering through this blog, I am praying that you will be completely healed, so you can continue to do so and anything else that The Lord may lay upon your heart to do. Bless All
        blog friends and I hope all you mothers have a Happy Mothers Day tomorrow . Eleanor M.

        Reply ↓

  3. Great scripture enhanced by your explanations and meaningful explanations; an eye opener for me. Thank you! And for your personal story of your healing miracle!
    Thank you Reynold for the serene photo and the explanation of it.

    I pray for a healing miracle for you at this day, in Jesus Name, Amen!!

    Reply ↓

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