is it right

Is It Right?

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Then the LORD said, “Is it right for you to be angry?” (Jonah 4:4)

Dear Pastor, Preacher, or Bible Teacher –

I pray that as this comes to you on a Monday or a Tuesday after a weekend of ministry, that you are being refreshed and recharged by God. In whatever way you served God, His people, or a needy world this week, God saw what you did and how it honored Him.

is it right

There is a lot I could say about what God said to Jonah with this question. The context of it all in the book of Jonah makes it even more fascinating. But I know you are busy and hopefully will have some opportunity to rest and recharge today, so I won’t take much of your time with this.

God asked Jonah, is it right for you to be angry? God likes to ask questions, and it’s a great study to find out all the questions God asks of man throughout the Bible. God teaches through His questions, and He wanted to teach Jonah. Jonah felt justified in his anger, but God wanted him to see that not right for him to be angry.

What might God ask you today?

Is it right for you to be discouraged?
Is it right for you to be jealous?
Is it right for you be proud?
Is it right for you to be bitter?
Is it right for you to be unforgiving?

I might feel I have a reason to hold on to all of these things, and maybe more. When I think of how great God is, and how marvelous His plan is, and how good it is for me to die to self even when it is difficult, I see that it isn’t right for me to hold on to any of those things.

Dear brother or sister, don’t let the work of God in you and through you be hindered by holding on to something that isn’t right.

Blessings to You in Jesus’ Name – David Guzik

Click Here to Receive Email from David for Pastors, Preachers, and Bible Teachers

Real aber unsichtbar

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Er aber sprach: Fürchte dich nicht! Denn die, welche bei uns sind, sind zahlreicher als die, welche bei ihnen sind! Und Elisa betete und sprach: HERR, öffne ihm doch die Augen, damit er sieht! Da öffnete der HERR dem Knecht die Augen, so dass er sah. Und siehe, der Berg war voll feuriger Rosse und Streitwagen rings um Elisa her. (2. Könige 6,16-17)

Der König von Syrien führte Krieg gegen Israel und war wütend auf Israels Propheten Elisa. Gott sprach zu Elisa und teilte ihm die Pläne der syrischen Armee mit, so dass Israel eine Zeit lang über jede Aktion der Syrer Bescheid wusste. In seiner Wut schickte der König von Syrien seine Soldaten mit Pferden und Streitwagen los.Diese umringten Elisas Stadt und forderten ihre Kapitulation.

Elisa hatte vollkommenen Frieden, doch sein Knecht hatte natürlich Angst, da er wusste, dass es keine Chance gab, zu entkommen oder einen Angriff zu überleben. Elisa sagte ihm, er solle keine Angst haben – denn die, welche bei uns sind, sind zahlreicher als die, welche bei ihnen sind. Elisa sah, was sein Knecht nicht sehen konnte, und er betete, dass Gott seinem Knecht die Augen öffnete, um die Situation geistlich zu erkennen.

Elisa betete nicht darum, dass Gott die Situation ändern würde. Seine einzige Bitte war, dass sein Knecht die Realität erkennen würde. Elisa versuchte auch nicht seinen Knecht davon zu überzeugen, dass auf ihrer Seite viel mehr waren. Man hätte ihm das nicht erklären können und ihn davon überzeugen können. Er musste es selbst sehen.

Gott erhörte Elisas Gebet. Wenn eine Person blind gegenüber der geistlichen Realität ist, kann nur Gott seine Augen öffnen. Gott kann das durch die Worte tun, die jemand spricht, doch das Werk des geistlichen Erkennens ist ein geistliches Werk, das nur Gott tun kann.

Als seine Augen geöffnet wurden, sah der Knecht die Realität, die er vorher nicht sehen konnte. Er sah, dass da wirklich mehr bei ihm und Elisa waren, als jene es waren, die sich gegen sie aufgestellt hatten. Elisa betete nicht darum, dass er etwas „sehen“ würde, was gar nicht da war. Gottes feurige Streitwagen waren echt, auch wenn sie unsichtbar waren. Gott war nicht nur präsent; Er hatte mehr Feuerkraft als die Feinde von Gottes Kindern!

Wenn tausend Menschen behaupten, sie sehen nichts von Gottes Gnade, Macht und Liebe in der Welt heute, löscht das nicht aus, was wir sehen. Dies ist die Welt unseres Vaters, und auch in dunklen Zeiten wirkt Er und ist präsent.

Bitte Gott dir deine Augen zu öffnen um die geistliche Realität erkennen zu können. Wir müssen uns nichts vorstellen; wir müssen das sehen, was real und doch unsichtbar ist.

windows of heaven

The Price of Unbelief

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So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “Look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” And he said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” (2 Kings 7:2)

Samaria, the capital city of the kingdom of Israel, was under siege and near complete starvation. The surrounding Syrian army waited for their surrender.

windows of heaven

Then, God’s prophet Elisha proclaimed the promise of God: within 24 hours the starvation situation in Samaria would be completely reversed. Instead of scarcity, there would be such abundance that food prices would radically drop in the city.

That’s when the unnamed officer in Israel’s army said with sneering unbelief, “Look, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” It’s true that we shouldn’t be quick to believe the big promises people make, but we should always believe God’s promises. Yet the king’s officer doubted the prophecy, and his doubt was faulty in many ways.

He doubted the power of God. If God willed it, He certainly could make windows in heaven and drop food from the sky for the hungry city.

He doubted the creativity of God. In the mind of the king’s officer, the only way food could come to the city was from above – from windows in heaven. He had no idea that God could provide in a completely unexpected way.

He doubted the messenger of God. The promise was big, but the officer should have believed it because it came from a man proved many times to be reliable.

The king’s officer was fluent in the language of unbelief.

– Unbelief says, “God’s promise may not be true.”
– Unbelief says, “This is a new thing and cannot be true.”
– Unbelief says, “This is a sudden thing and will not be true.”
– Unbelief says, “There is no way to accomplish this thing.”
– Unbelief says, “There is only one way God can meet this need.”
– Unbelief says, “Even if God does something, it won’t be enough.”

Through Elisha, God pronounced a harsh judgment upon the officer of unbelief. He would see the promise fulfilled and food supplied, but he would not eat of it.

Unbelief robs us of many things, but one of the worst is that we never enjoy the satisfaction and contentment found in God’s fulfilled promises.

Treat unbelief for the intruder, deceiver, and thief that it really is.

Click here for David’s commentary on 2 Kings 7

Real but Unseen

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Muddy Jordan River

Weise Knechte

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Da traten seine Knechte zu ihm, redeten mit ihm und sprachen: Mein Vater, wenn dir der Prophet etwas Großes befohlen hätte, würdest du es nicht tun? Wieviel mehr, denn da er zu dir gesagt hat: Wasche dich, so wirst du rein! (2. Könige 5,13)

Naeman war ein erfolgreicher Mann, die Art von Mann, an dem man hochschaut. Er war ein Anführer, ein General in der Armee des Königs von Syrien. Er hatte das, was sich die meisten Menschen wünschen, bis auf eine große Ausnahme: er hatte Lepra. Diese Krankheit war nicht nur eklig, sie war auch tödlich.

Muddy Jordan River

General Naeman kam zum Propheten Elisa, um geheilt zu werden, doch Elisa wollte ihn nicht einmal sehen. Durch einen Boten ließ der Prophet ihm ausrichten, zu dem schlammigen Fluß Jordan zu gehen und sich dort siebenmal unterzutauchen. Naeman war wütend darüber, dass ihm so ein demütigender – fast schon lächerlicher – Weg zur Heilung angeraten wurde.

Er war so beleidigt, dass er ohne den Rat seiner Knechte, zornig weg gegangen wäre. Die Knechte Naemans nutzten eine brilliante Methode. Wenn Elisa Naeman gesagt hätte, er solle dem Gott Israels 100 oder 1000 Tiere opfern, hätte Naeman das sofort getan. Doch weil die Aufforderung so leicht und demütigend war, wollte Naeman das nicht tun.

Naeman war bereit, etwas Großes oder Schwieriges zu tun, damit er auch etwas zu seiner Heilung beitragen konnte. Es wäre dann auch seine eigene Leistung und sein Werk. Etwas so Einfaches und so Demütigendes zu tun bedeutete, dass der General keine Anerkennung für das, was geschah, bekam. Es wäre ganz allein ein Geschenk Gottes.

Dasselbe gilt für die Rettung, die wir in Jesus Christus bekommen. Er will, dass wir etwas ganz Einfaches tun – Ihm vertrauen, uns auf Ihn verlassen, Ihm glauben – das könnte auch ein Kind. Es erfordert keine große Stärke, Weisheit, Willenskraft oder guten Charakter. Wir glauben und empfangen.

Wenn man den Menschen sagen würde: „echtes Leben auf Erden und ewiges Leben im Himmel kannst du bekommen, wenn du diesen Berg mit den scharfen Felskanten erklimmst“, dann gäbe es sehr viele, die bereit wären, das zu tun. Die Botschaft: „Jesus hat alles bezahlt – glaube Ihm und empfange“ – ist nicht so gefragt. Aber es ist wahr, und es funktioniert. Naeman wurde geheilt, und zwar nicht durch etwas, das er tat. Wir alle können wahres Leben auf Erden und ewiges Leben im Himmel als Geschenk von Jesus bekommen – aber nicht durch etwas, das wir selbst tun. Es ist wahr, und es funktioniert.

Und Dank sei Gott für diese nicht namentlich genannten aber weisen Knechte!

Shepherd with sheep

People God Calls

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I was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet, but I was a sheepbreeder and a tender of sycamore fruit. Then the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said to me, “Go, prophesy to My people Israel.” (Amos 7:14-15)

Amos was not a graduate of the school of the prophets. He was more familiar with the plow than with the pulpit. He knew more about seeds and sowing than seeing into the future.

Shepherd with sheep

It seems that Amos was simply doing his job as a farmer when one day it happened: “Then the Lord took me as I followed the flock.” It was because Amos was an honorable sheepbreeder and a tender of sycamore fruit that God made him an honorable prophet. Like many others in the Bible, God called Amos as he faithfully performed his present calling. The call came to:

Rachel watering sheep
Moses and David tending sheep
Joshua helping Moses
Gideon threshing wheat
Ruth gathering grain
Elisha serving Elijah
Peter catching fish
Matthew collecting taxes

The life of Amos was not useless as a farmer before he was a prophet. The world needs sheepbreeders, farmers, mechanics, doctors, technicians, insurance salesmen and everything else. To serve God and others honorably in these professions is just as honorable as serving Him as a prophet.

But we see God had a purpose in specifically calling a man like Amos. He wanted to show the greatness of the ministry was in the God who inspires it, not in the man or woman used in ministry. When Amos spoke people didn’t say, “He must have been top of his class at the school of the prophets.” Instead they said, “God is really saying something through that farmer.”

God had another purpose in calling Amos. With so many allusions and illustrations from the world of agriculture, Amos spoke as a farmer and God used it. Every person really called to speak forth for God has a manner and style of their own. Though God speaks through them all, they still do not lose not their individuality or unique character. We might say that the breath which causes the music is the same, but no two instruments give forth precisely the same sound. Amos was a unique instrument and God breathed through him in a special way.

Dear pastor, preacher, or Bible teacher – you are a unique individual. You are singular in what you are by birth, training, life experience and anointing. God can and will use you according to your special calling. It may be in a way noticed or unnoticed by others, but that is unimportant – as long as your calling is noticed in heaven. Just make sure you answer every time God calls!

Blessings to You in Jesus’ Name – David Guzik

Click Here to Receive Email from David for Pastors, Preachers, and Bible Teachers

cursed riches

Cursed Riches

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Now he went in and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant did not go anywhere.” Then he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow. (2 Kings 5:25-27)

God healed Naaman from a fatal disease, and they Syrian general was so grateful that he wanted to give Elisha a big reward. Elisha refused, but his servant Gehazi secretly followed Naaman and lied, saying Elisha now wanted to receive the large reward. Gehazi took what Naaman gave, intending to keep it for himself.

cursed riches

When Gehazi returned to Elisha, the prophet knew just what had happened. Elisha said, “Did not my heart go with you?” We don’t know if this was supernatural knowledge or simply gained from observation and knowing Gehazi’s character. One way or another, Elisha knew. All Gehazi’s attempts to cover his sin failed.

Elisha also knew that it was not time to receive money. It seems the prophet had no absolute law against receiving support from those who were touched by his ministry. Yet it was spiritually clear to Elisha, and should have been clear to Gehazi, that it was not appropriate at this time and circumstance.

Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, paid a great price for his greed and deception: Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever. This was a severe judgment, but as a man in ministry Gehazi was under a stricter judgment. When he allowed himself to covet what Naaman had, he thought only in terms of the moneyNaaman possessed. God allowed him to keep the riches, but also gave him the otherthing Naaman had – deadly leprosy.

I like what Adam Clarke wrote about this: “Gehazi is not the last who has got money in an unlawful way, and has got God’s curse with it.”

I suppose that all of us would rather have more than less. But how you gain things is important. If we gain through lies, deception, disobedience to God, or dishonor, we will probably find that what we can with our riches is worse than the wealth itself.

Remember Proverbs 10:22: The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it. Gehazi became rich, but with great sorrow. Don’t put yourself in the same place.

Click here for David’s commentary on 2 Kings 5