Monday, May 13, 2019

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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

13 thoughts on “Monday, May 13, 2019”

  1. Elisha did miracles among the common people and I believe the Lord wants to do miracles through us today as well. Sometimes it takes a long time before we are in the state to give the Lord all the glory. Lord do it again so that believe will recognize that God is still alive today and believe. Amen! the Lord Jesus surely had a plan for His servant David Mainse. Praise God and we are recipients of that plan still today. Amen! Used to sing the song, “He’ll Do It Again.”

    Reply ↓

    • Blessings Ger:
      your post reminds me of the song SOMETIMES IT TAKES A MOUNTAIN, SOMETIMES A TROUBLED SEA; SOMETIMES IT TAKES A DESSERT; TO GET A HOLD OF ME……when I first heard that song I feel down on my knees and cried for days; all the years of my youth and becoming an adult, the Lord was trying to get my attention and I wasn’t listening and THEN; ONE DAY I listened and asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart; and He did and I knew I was completely forgiven….I thank the Lord daily for that experience and now, as a Senior I am so thankful again for the Lord doing whatever He could do to get my attention…..

      Reply ↓

  2. Amazing scripture, message, prayer and links, today. Deep in the Spirit, this morning and walking with Jesus every step of the way. One of my morning devotionals is shared below (but for tomorrow’s date). It spoke so deeply to me and the Holy Spirit said: “I have planted you, here.” Blessings, as His light and love flow through you, today, fellow saints in the Lord. What an awesome God we serve! Amen?

    He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms;
    he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
    Isaiah 40:11 ESV

    “This is the life I have given you. Embrace it and be grateful for it. I am the Good Shepherd who leads My sheep in the right places for them. Here, My design is to keep you in a safe place. Here those qualities I desire to see can come forth and grow if you will embrace this life. Worry not about what others may think. Instead, concern yourself about what I think.” Echoes of Eternity, Helms, May 14

    Jesus Messiah – Chris Tomlin (Worship Song with Lyrics)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v9JAE1EKes

    Reply ↓

  3. Amen to Ger and Beverlee,we are so blessed to have this teaching every morning. I prayed David’s prayer this morning, I want my eyes to be opened wide to see what God has in store for me.
    Lord bless all who read this blog. Eleanor M.

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  4. Praise God for John A. MacDonald’s conversion!! Canada became a Nation
    under God; I pray for the Lord’s intervention for this Nation of Canada to once again become a Nation under God!! For His Love to rain in homes, that fatthers and morthers would respect and love each other; so that God’s Love would draw our children into the Kingdom of light out of the kingdom of darkness.

    That we would repent of our sins; and cry out to the Lord . So, that as is written on the Peace Tower , Canada would once again ; “have Dominion from sea to sea!!!
    I agree with David’s prayer; and thank him for the great interpretation of today’s scriptures; and the newspaper clipping of our first Prime Minister John A. MacDonald’s picture, and his conversion!!

    be blessed all you bloggers; its a summer’s day here in Alberta!

    Reply ↓

    • God bless you Irene; I also pray the same prayer; again I thank the Lord because He intervened in Canada and it was a solid Christian country, every day in parliament began with prayer, I believe with all my heart God will lead Canada back to worshipping Him first thing in the morning; He is not going to forget us, He has His Plan and He will bring it about again, I believe this completely……
      we need to daily pray for our government, for our families, for our leaders, for our neighbours…..GOD BLESS CANADA…..

      Reply ↓

  5. Amen to Ger and Beverlee, l prayed David’s prayer this morning. I so want the Lord to open my eyes to what he has in store for me.
    Blessings to all who read this blog. Eleanor M.

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  6. Thanks Ron and Ann for posting this blog filled with encouraging words; and great photos, thanks Reynold!

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  7. Meant to say that the unsaved will recognize that God is still alive today and believe. Thank you Beverlee for the song. I thought you would find it for me. Such meaningful posts today.

    Reply ↓

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