King Of Israel

“Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and go back to their master.” 2 Kings 6:22

Throughout history there have been many different wars with various nations against other nations. In every war there have been soldiers who have been captured. Many of those who did the capturing would torture those they had captured with severe painful torture. The torturing was done out of anger and vengeance against their enemies and to instill fear into their enemy.

The king of Aram sent soldiers to find and capture Elisha. Elisha had those soldiers blinded then led them into the king of Israel. When the king of Israel wanted to kill them, Elisha said not to, but to feed them food and water and sent them home.

Very few people will ever be in a position of capturing an enemy and being able to deal directly with that enemy as in an army with a nation against another nation. The enemies that the average person has are those people who treat them badly and lie, cheat or even physically harm them.

When a person is caught in the act of doing something wrong, most people may not want to physically kill the person, but they do want to strike back and often harshly. People want their enemies to pay a severe price for doing wrong.

Years after Elisha told them not to kill the enemies, Jesus told the people to love their enemies and do good to them. Believers are to provide for the needs of their enemies to show and represent God’s love to them. Love, in this way, will turn their hearts away from their sin and to God, rather than angering them more.

You most likely have someone who has done you harm. When you have caught them in doing the harm, you have a choice to make as to how you deal with them.

Keep in mind the love Jesus had for you when you sinned against Him and did Him harm. He loved you and treated you with respect providing abundantly for all of your needs, despite your deserving death. In this same way, treat those who harm you with love. Give them food and water, things that they need, to win their hearts over to God.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know the love God has for you and your enemies; that you will treat your enemies with God’s love; that God will guide you in providing what your enemies need; and that you will be a witness of God’s love to this world.

Then David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel. 2 Samuel 5:12

After the death of King Saul, David was made king of Israel. It was not until the king of Tyre sent workers and supplies to David did David realize that God had really made him king of over Israel. At that point he knew that it was God’s hand at work that had made him securely king over Israel and it was for the sake of the people of Israel.

When most people are moved up in a promotion to a higher position, their first thoughts are usually that they deserved that position. They feel that they had worked hard to get there. There is pride in their heart about getting into that new higher position.

Very seldom do people realize that it was because of God working in their lives that put them in that position. Many people do not give God the credit for their position.

At some point in your life you may have been moved up in a position. Yes, it did take a lot of your own personal work to get to that position. However, without God’s hand of favor and work in your life, you would never have attained that position.

Think about it. It is only because of God’s sustaining power that you can breathe, or move, or think, or work. If you can only do these things because of God’s sustaining power, then any move up in position is ultimately the work of God. God has given you the ability to do everything that you do.

The challenge now in your life is to recognize the work of God in your life. Realize what God has given you and allowed you to do. Give God credit for the good place in life you may be.

Do not allow personal pride to take away what God has done in and for you. Know that it was God who has brought you as far as you have come and will bring you the rest of the way on this journey in this life.

I pray today that you will know God’s work in your life; that you will know it is God who gives you all of your abilities; that you will not allow pride to take the place of God; and that you will be a great asset in God’s kingdom here on this earth.