Devotions

Elisha inherited from Elijah the role of prophet in the land. In 2 Kings 4, we see where he encountered one of his first big tests. The son of a Shunammite couple had died and in desperation, the wife cried out to Elisha, “I’ve prayed and fasted, but I’ve received nothing from the Lord. I don’t understand what God is doing and this is more than I can bear. I have no strength to go on.”

Elisha responded by doing something rather unusual. “He said to Gehazi (his servant), ‘Tie up your garment’” (2 Kings 4:29). In other words, “Gird up your loins.” Then he said, “Take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not reply. And lay my staff on the face of the child.”

Gehazi obeyed Elisha but when he laid the staff on the face of the dead child, nothing happened. There was still no sign of life so Gehazi returned to Elisha and told him, “The child has not awakened.”

I ask you, what do you do when everything you’ve tried brings no visible result? Where do you turn when all your effort does not accomplish what you hoped?

There comes a time when our only resource is Jesus! He alone is our solution. In this story, Elisha is a type of Christ. He went to that Shunammite family and literally stretched himself out over the boy’s body. When he was face to face, foot to foot, hand to hand with the dead child, he breathed into him.

And then? Scripture says the boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. He was alive!

What brought about this miracle? Jesus Himself breathed into the situation. When we have no hope, no resources, no ability, Jesus breathes His supernatural life into our circumstances.

Make this your prayer: “Lord, I have nothing — You have everything. Nothing in this world can compare to You and Your power and I need You now. I cannot breathe life into my situation but You can, Lord.”

“Without faith it is impossible to please Him.” I deeply believe that the sin of unbelief is among the most devastating in modern Christianity. Unbelief spiritually cuts our throats and blinds us. It puts us to sleep and binds us little by little, inexorably, year after year, until we accept the unacceptable.

The kingdom of God worldwide is presently experiencing the greatest spiritual revival in the history of mankind. However, in the same period of time, more than 90 percent of evangelical churches throughout North America and Europe are showing no significant growth. They are reduced to recalling their past awakenings, or desperately clinging to the latest fad promising some breathtaking and instantaneous breakthrough somewhere in the unknown future.

Please understand me. I am deeply grateful for what God did yesterday, as well as what He is doing around the world. I praise Him for it. But I am here — today! I must repent (to repent essentially means to change direction) for the unbelief and dullness in my faith that has caused me to tolerate the intolerable.

Unbelief is immensely more serious and devastating than we can understand or fathom. Surrounded by a world filled with immorality, decadence, idolatry and demonic religious rituals — disgusting in their cruelty and totally empty of any spiritual life or true spiritual significance — Jesus stood firm and stayed strong. But He wept at unbelief. Unbelief literally tore Him up.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever and there is no favoritism with our God. He is immutable — never changing; omnipotent — all powerful; absolutely just; and totally committed to doing in your city, your church, your country what He is majestically and supernaturally doing all around the world even as you read these words.

Between us and the limitless greatness of His power stands the gulf of unbelief. That is why we cannot live another day without crying out, “Lord, increase our faith!”

Claude Houde is the lead pastor of Eglise Nouvelle Vie (New Life Church) in Montreal, Canada. Under his leadership New Life Church has grown from a handful of people to more than 3500 in a part of Canada with few successful Protestant churches.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes, but its leaf will be green; and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

We see in verse eight that the one who trusts God during hard times is “planted.” He is deeply rooted, stable and fruitful, always green with fresh life. When things in his life get dry and troublesome, he will not be afraid.

This person says, “Jesus, I give up looking to any person to bring me out of this trial. I turn to You alone! You are my only keeper, my only hope and I look to You to keep me strong and bring me through in victory.”

The Lord desires this kind of faith from us in our everyday lives. You may say, “But, Brother Dave, I’m still unemployed and things are really tight.” Yet I have to believe what we read in God’s Word: “Trust Me and you will be blessed.”

You may answer, “But I don’t know what I’m going to do. The storm is raging all around me and it looks totally hopeless. I don’t see any sign of help or deliverance.” And to all this God still says, “Trust Me, My child, and you will be blessed.”

Your trial may be with your family, your business, or your provision. But if you continue to put your total trust in His Word and His faithfulness, God promises to bless you. And He cannot lie!

When the heat comes, you will not be bothered. When the wind blows, you will stand strong. Why? Because you will have learned to trust Him in spite of all your unnerving circumstances. You will be a green tree bearing the abundant fruit of confidence, and everyone around you will be given hope and encouragement as they observe your quiet trust. 

“When he was reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not” (1 Peter 2:23).

An amazing truth connected with Christ’s suffering is that He never once defended Himself against those who mistreated Him. He punished no one and never retaliated in any way.

How unlike us! When our suffering becomes unbearable, we defend ourselves, protecting our rights and reputation. Sometimes we even threaten God without even knowing what we are doing. But when our prayers go unanswered or disaster strikes and it seems like the Lord has let us down, we pull back from Him. When we are in pain or feel lonely and sad, we begin to drift. We slack up on our Bible reading and prayer and our faith becomes dull and inactive.

Every time we back off from seeking the Lord with a whole heart, we are threatening Him. In a way we are saying, “Lord, I did my best and You let me down.” He loves us so much and He has infinite patience with us when we hurt. He lovingly waits until we return to His tender care.

We must be careful that we do not allow our attitudes to lead us away from Him. If we refuse to wake up and renew our faith and hope in Him, we can become so disillusioned that we give in to our lusts and passions. We say, “What’s the use? I try so hard but I can’t seem to stay in victory. I call out to God for help and deliverance but nothing ever happens.”

When we indulge ourselves in this way, we are threatening God. It’s our way of “getting even” with Him for not answering prayer on our schedule.

The Lord alone is our keeper and He will not allow His children to fall. Let us do as Christ did when He “committed himself to him that judgeth righteously” (1 Peter 2:23). To commit means to place your life completely in His hands.

Dearly beloved, there is hope! Give up your struggle to accomplish anything in your own strength and commit the keeping of your body and soul to the Lord of hosts! 

“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty” (1 Corinthians 1:27).

God still chooses the weak to show forth His strength. Have you ever felt insignificant, frail and useless to God? Have you ever looked at others who seem so strong, so perfect, and thought of yourself as being too sinful, too dull to be used of God? Don’t compare! God is not looking for spiritual giants but, rather, he’s looking for ordinary saints with childlike faith who have lost all confidence in the flesh.

God will confound the strong and wise by anointing as His instruments those who are considered frail and foolish. The Lord will bypass those who lean on the arm of flesh — who trust in their talents, their knowledge, their background, their family reputation. He will raise up the brokenhearted, the weak, and the weary. He will pour on them a spirit of praise and a baptism of love. He will show them His greatness, His faithfulness, His covenants, and they will become strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Do you feel a drawing to a renewed faith and trust in God? If so, be thankful! That is the call of Jesus Christ the Lord. Look at some of God’s great and precious promises to us:

“Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues” (Psalm 31:19-20).

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).