My Sunday Skl

Today we are starting with what may be an unfamiliar verse.

I’d be surprised if someone told me that this was their favourite passage. Maybe I would be even a little bit concerned.

2 Kings 7:3.

Now, I don’t know if we will unpack the entire chapter, but I would strongly recommend you to check it out. It’s not too long, and it’s one of those parts of the Bible which really just feels like a movie and leaps off the page.

2 Kings 7:3. The NIV says,

Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die?”

We find ourselves with four men who all have leprosy. They are going through something. This is probably the hardest time of their lives, but one thing that is key, is that they are not alone. They’re in this battle for their lives, but they are not alone.

And many times, the enemy wants to isolate us during our struggles. A way to keep someone down, is to make them feel like they are the only one going through things, to make them feel like they are being targeted, punished, forsaken.

“Why is it always me?”

“What have I done to deserve this?”

And often, it is when we are isolated that we are vulnerable.

But here in this text, we see four men who recognise they all have problems and decide to link up recognising the benefit of fighting together.

Off topic, On topic.

I was listening to a teaching this week, and I heard something good.

If the enemy can’t get you, he will put someone in your life to distract you.

Distracted people distract people.

But, that is when he can’t get you.

A problem is, a lot of people are getting got, because they are alone.

A teacher said this:

The Devil works in isolation.

Let’s look at Jesus in the wilderness. He was tempted when He was isolated. When He was alone. When He was weak.

And I’ve seen it in my walk, when I isolate myself, when I hide things, when I refuse to share with others, I allow my temptations and struggles to go unnoticed. And that may seem okay, if you believe you can do it all by yourself.

However, I believe we need people. People who can encourage us. People to draw from. People to reason with.

In fact…

1 Peter 5:8. ESV

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Watch a lion hunt, and you’ll soon see that it works in two ways:

By surrounding.

And Isolation.

A pack of lions will attempt to surround a small number of whatever prey they are after. Then they will run through them, breaking down the numbers, dividing them. Until eventually they can isolate the prey. Once isolated, they will seek to devour.

And I’d like to say, maybe all these issues in your life aren’t even the main attack. You feel surrounded with problems. Issues are coming from the left and the right – in and out of your life. And overtime it breaks you down. You start to pull away from those around you.

Maybe you are ashamed.

Maybe you don’t want to be a burden.

Maybe you just don’t want to talk.

But these issues that have been running through your life have you left you isolated.

And now you are ready to be devoured.

Maybe the temptation isn’t the main attack.

Maybe that was just used to draw us out and keep us isolated.

Looking back at 2 Kings 7:3, the Bible shows us the importance of not only staying connected, but also the importance of having critical conversations.

They say something interesting to each other.

“Why stay here until we die?”

Are we going to just sit here and wait for death?

Are we going to accept this as our final destination?

Are we really going to go out like this?

This is so good, because one of the first steps to change, is becoming aware.

It’s hard to change a problem you don’t think you have.

So, when we look at these men having this conversation, we see a realisation, a change in mindset.

There’s this quote:

Sometimes we can’t change our situation, but we can change our attitude.

This conversation alone did not change the situation. They still had leprosy. But a shift in their attitude towards it, could lead to a change in how they approach the situation.

Going back once again to the four men, they were at the entrance of the city. Right now, they’re posted up just outside the city. Looking at what could be their purpose. Looking at what could be their opportunity. And they ask themselves,

“Are we going to just wait here to die?”

And I’d like to encourage all of us, who are at the edge, who are at a point of turning things around, making a change, but are burdened by their current struggles, to have a critical conversation with ourselves and ask,

“Am I willing to go out like this?”

Many of us sitting on the edge, and we just need that one critical conversation to get us over.

Before we wrap up this part, I want to throw out a verse to you lot.

Romans 10:17.

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

I’ll even add a little saying.

We hear in two ways: in conversation and in confession.

Conversation often times is what they say about you.

That’s why it’s critical to have the right people around you.

When God is saying that this isn’t the end for you…

that you can’t go out like this…

that there’s another way…

do you have people around you who can echo that?

When you are telling yourself that this is then end.

That there’s no way to turn things around.

That you might as well sit and die.

Do you have people around you who can challenge that?

So many times, God will plant a seed in us, but there’s nobody to water it.

And if can’t water your own seed, maybe those around you can.

So, the men with leprosy.

They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die?”

We don’t know who said it first. Maybe the idea came to all of them at the same time. Maybe God planted a seed in all of them. But if just one or two of them came with the wrong energy, it may have killed the seed.

I pray we will be able to surround ourselves with people who nurture our seed, instead of killing it.

Part 2 will be dropping next Wednesday.

God Bless!