Familiarity with the ‘Holy’ (Part 7)

Today’s Scripture Threshing for Friday, April 12, 2019

Today’s Text: 2 Kings 5:15-27

Key Verse: 2 Kings 5:27 (ESV): “Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence a leper, like snow.”

We’ve followed, for quite a while, how a couple of men missed or almost missed out of the blessings because of the sin of familiarity. Today’s lesson shows us how a person may be in leadership or in the arena of active ministry and yet be found wanting in a way, or in many ways. This itself may be due to familiarity with the holy. What we must bear in mind is that no one gets on to take the next level except he passes the tests of the present.

Elisha’s 10 years of training under Elijah positions him for the double portion. He was close, but never too familiar. Rather, he passed the test of steadfastness—from Jericho to Bethel, to Gilgal, and till he should see his master taken off.

Gehazi too started well. He was always before the prophet. He was the adviser that helped Elisha to discover the greatest needs of the Shunamite woman(2 Kgs 4:14). He ran ahead of his master to lay his staff on the face of the dead boy. He was getting ready to move on to his next level. However, he was not a broken and ready vessel. There was a secret issue in Him that he failed to deal with so that he failed the test, lost his place, and went away cursed.

Gehazi’s fist failed test was that, in his zeal, he failed to place the need for spiritual perception over physical protection. He tried to push the grieving poor widow away (4:26). Don’t we also fail this test today?! Agin, he failed a second test when he ran with the prophet’s staff but couldn’t make any difference with it (vs 31). He must have failed the Faith test, or failed to realize that anointing is never transferred.

If you let the spirit of Gehazi thrive in you, you may also fail to share with others assume you don’t have enough. When Gehazi had the gift of 20 barley loaves and some wheat in the ear which he would have shared with 100 people with him; he protested they were not sufficient (vv. 43,44). He failed the little boy’s test of Jesus’ day, who gave up his 5 loaves. When we serve well and work hard as Gehaz, let us beware of fleshly leavens and little foxes that destroy the vine. Perfect heart is all the Lord requires.

Quote for the Day: “Familiarity does not just attract punishment, it detracts and deprives us of great divine provisions. Gehazi’s sin attracted Naaman’s leprosy, but it also cost him his privileged front-row seat in God’s wonderful move of signs and wonders.” (Simon Olatunji)

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to walk worthy before you. Never let the greed of Gehazi, and the spirit that scorns your holy things be ever found in me, in Jesus name. Amen.

With all my Love and Prayer,

Rev Simon Wale Olatunji, PhD

The Darling Bishop (DaBishop),

2321 S Belt Line Rd., Suite 144,

Grand Prairie TX 75051 USA

Email: reachingout@hopeforallnations.org

BBMme: E3F988D2

[Today’s Scripture Threshing is a devotional guide of The House of Prayer Evangel Church USA. Feel free to use it in your family altar and personal quiet times; and to contact us for further enquiry, help and partnership.]

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