2 Kings 2:23-24…Elisha went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys.
In reading the Bible you will discover, as I have, that God has a sense of humor. When this verse of scripture from 2 Kings was pointed out to me…I laughed so hard. Then I shared it with everyone I could. And some time after reading this verse I wondered how I could use this verse in a sermon. As I continued thinking about these verses the Lord began to speak to me about the power of our words.
The Power of Words….
Elisah’s words cause something to happen in the passage. The power of words bring life and death. Proverbs discusses how there is life and death in our words. James talks of how the tongue is full of poison and is deceitful above all things. In the book of 1 Peter it say that the tongue cannot be tamed by man. My question is if the tongue is untamable then why bother trying? But that is point…to make an attempt…everyday. I realized that our words are a choice. We choose to speak life or to speak death. And the New Testament is full of scripture instructing the church to build one another up through love, service, and prophesy.
But back to the scripture in 2 Kings. I don’t want these verses to be lost on you. The boys making fun of Elisha are making fun of the fact that he is going up the mountain to speak with God more so than his lack of hair. He takes offense to their jeers and curses them in the name of the Lord. Then all of a sudden two she-bears appear and kill forty two of the boys. And the next verse says Elisha continues up the mountain. WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! There is power….awesome power that was just displayed there. And then Elisha walks on. This verse is just amazing. His words are so powerful…and they are so powerful because he has the power of God within him. Elisha is obedient to the Lord.
The Lord was speaking to me so much about the power of my own words that when I was asked to speak on our last Sunday in Kenya I spoke on this very topic. And the first verse of scripture is used….2 Kings. I felt the Lord speaking to me through these verses and I wanted to share what I was learning. While I was speaking I heard the Lord speaking to me about inviting the people who were present to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. I did as I was asked. I was expecting a flood of people. What really happened though taught me a lot and gave me insight into God and his character. No one raised their hand. No one came forward. No one accept Christ during that invitation. I thought if i was obedient to what the Lord was asking of me that I would see amazing results, but sometimes I think God just wants to see if we’ll be obedient. I also came to the conclusion that how I felt when there was no response to the invitation to accept Christ must be how God feels when he is continually rejected.
But what does God do? He doesn’t take his hand away. His hand is fully extended and always at the ready to receive a person when they accept His son. I learned more about God’s love for His people that day….and am continuing to learn more about his love, his limitless love. Love is what God is about….it’s what He has always been about…it is who He is. Love is what I have been learning about recently and I wanted to share what I’ve learned with the people I love most.
Thanks for keeping up with me and following my experiences on the World Race. Uganda has gone rather slowly at times and has been an amazing month of ministry, and next week I will be traveling to Narobi for my squad’s Month 8 debrief and then we’re off for the start of Month 9 in Tanzania. Be praying for safe travels, rest, and refreshment over the next week. Again thank you for all your emails, facebook messages, and prayers. It means a lot to have your support. Much love to you all.
