Our Creative, Memorable God

January 20th, 2021

What are the most effective ways you learn?

Hearing – tell me!
Seeing – show me!
Touch – let me get my hands on it!
Taste or smell – I want to experience it!

The Bible is a record of the miraculous, memorable, sometimes even humorous ways God is at work in people’s lives. There is no better example of this than the prophet Elisha, a faithful servant of God. Consider these supernatural (miraculous) ways God used Elisha in other’s people’s lives:

Elisha turns bad water to good by throwing salt in it. 2 Kings 2:19-22
To help a widow pay a creditor, Elisha multiplied her little bit of oil to the degree she was able to pay her debt and provide for her family. 2 Kings 4:1-7
A woman has been kind to Elisha, and in return, he foretells that she will be blessed in having a son in about a year, and she does. 2 Kings 4:8-17
Same boy dies, God restores his life through Elisha. 2 Kings 4:18-37
Military leader, Naaman, is cured of leprosy by washing in river seven times. 2 Kings 5:1-3 and 9-14

To accomplish His purpose, God used Elisha in remarkable ways like these during his life, and, even in his death! Read on:

Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet. 2 Kings 13:20-21

The first question I have about this account is, “Why?” Why did God decide to do this? I must add here, God is not required to share with us the “why” of anything He does. But, we can still wonder (I’m sure the dead-back-to-life man did too!). Possible answers:

To remind people of God’s truth and power.
The record of Elisha is memorable and still of benefit to us today.
God is a creative teacher who used visual aids.
It indicates that the Lord was Elisha’s God after death as well as before, and God’s truth (history, prophecy, promise) continues forever.

I do know for sure from these accounts that God is powerful, accomplishes His will however He chooses, and cares about people. That includes you and me.

Sometimes obstacles seem insurmountable; you just can’t see how a situation could end well. You may not be able to see, but God certainly does! The situation may not end as you would expect or prefer, but you can be confident that God is powerful, accomplishes His will as He chooses, and He cares about you!

4832 Ponderings:
In what situations do you feel like you really need God to intervene? Could He be at work in creative ways that you haven’t yet considered?
Are you using the ways you learn (from the beginning of this blog) to seek answers?
Remind yourself what you already know to be true about God.