Good News!

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Kings 7:1-9

TO CHEW ON: "Then they said to each other, 'What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.' ” 2 Kings 7:9

What do you do when you have good news?
- Make very sure no one finds out.
- Write about it only in your journal.
- Email, phone, text-message and tell all your friends.

Chances are, you do the last. We all love good news – and love even more to share it with others so they can be happy with us.

Four lepers living outside Samaria didn’t have good news very often. Lately life was even worse than usual because they were starving. Their family members who usually brought them food were locked inside the gates of the city.

Standing guard outside the gates and surrounding the city walls was the army of Aram and King Ben Hadad. He wanted Samaria as his own. He was determined to stay as long as it took to capture the city. He was sure that when the Israeli people and their king got hungry enough, they’d be happy to surrender to him – just to keep from starving.


This day the lepers decided to do more than wait around to die of hunger. Since the only place there was food was in the enemy camp, they would go there. If the enemy killed them, they were as good as dead anyway. But if they soldiers had mercy on them and fed them, they’d have saved their own lives.

When they got to the enemy camp, what a surprise. The place was deserted. There were no people, only tents. Inside the tents were silver, gold, beautiful clothes and FOOD!



The lepers ate till they were full. Then they took some beautiful things and hid them. Suddenly they remembered the people in the city. They were still starving.

“This isn’t right,” they said to each other. “We have to tell the people in Samaria.” So they did. And by that night, no one in the city was hungry any more. Their lives were saved because the lepers remembered to share the good news.

We too have good news. It’s not news about food that gives us physical life. It’s news about how we can have eternal life and live forever in heaven with Jesus. Have you told someone else this good news? Don’t keep the good news to yourself. Tell your family and friends so they can accept Jesus and have eternal life too.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Jesus and the good news of how we can live forever with You. Amen.


MORE: Siege
Samaria was a city surrounded by walls. It was also built on a hilltop. The walls and the view of approaching soldiers made it a hard city to capture.

Ben Hadad, the Syrian king, tried to capture it by putting it under siege. This means his army surrounded the city walls. They blocked the city gates. No traders or farmers could enter with food. He was hoping that when all the food in the city was gone, the starving king and people would give up. Then Samaria would belong to him.

Draw a picture of a city under siege.

(And if you’re puzzling over the mystery of the deserted camp? Read the rest of the story in 2 Kings 7:10-20)

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Invisible Army

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Kings 6:8-23

TO CHEW ON: “’Don’t be afraid,’” the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’” 2 Kings 6:16

During the time of Elisha, the kings of Aram and Israel were at war. But because God told Elisha where the Aramaens were, and Elisha told the king of Israel, the Israeli king was always getting away.

“Who of you is telling Israel our plans?” the King of Aram demanded of his soldiers.

“No one,” they replied. “It’s Elisha, the prophet. He knows everything – even what you say in your bedroom.”

“Capture him,” The king commanded. He sent a large force of soldiers on horses to arrest Elisha. They came at night and surrounded Dothan, the city where Elisha was staying.

The next morning when Elisha’s servant got up, he saw the army around the city. “My lord, what shall we do?” he asked Elisha.

“Don’t be afraid,” Elisha replied. Then he prayed, “God, open his eyes.”

In the next instant the servant saw that the hills surrounding the city were full of horses – and these weren’t the enemy’s horses. They were surrounded by chariots of fire. God’s army of angels was all around, protecting Elisha and the servant.


Help tell the end of the story by choosing the right answer to each question.
1. What happened as the Aram army came toward Elisha ? (2 Kings 6:18)
a] soldiers threw spears at Elisha.
b] the servant screamed for help.
c] Elisha prayed and the soldiers became blind.

2. Where did Elisha lead the army? (2 Kings 6:19)
a] Jerusalem.
b] Bethlehem.
c] Samaria.


3. What did Elisha tell the king of Israel to do with the army? (2 Kings 6:22)
a] feed them.
b] kill them.
c] put them in prison.

4. Then what happened? (2 Kings 6:23)
a] the Aramaeans captured Elisha.
b] Aram stopped their raids on Israel.
c] Elisha and his servant sneaked out of the city.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for stories of Your protection. Please protect me today. Amen.

Illustration by Annie Vallotton from the Good News Bible
© American Bible Society 1976, 1992, used with permission.

MORE: Angel Protection
Many verses in the Bible talk about angels.
Three of them are:
Psalm 34:7, Matthew 18:10, Hebrews 1:14

Which is your favorite?
Draw a picture of what you think an angel might look like. Write your favorite angel verse under the picture. Then thank God for the protection of angels today.

Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Greedy Lying Gehazi

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Kings 5:15-27


TO CHEW ON: “When he went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, 'Where have you been, Gehazi?'
'Your servant didn’t go anywhere,' Gehazi answered" - 2 Kings 5:25

Naaman offers gifts to Elisha

After he had left, Elisha’s servant Gehazi couldn’t get the thought of Naaman’s gifts out of his mind. My master was too easy on Naaman, he thought. But I’d sure like some of those things.

He ran after Naaman’s carriage, caught up to it and said, “My master has changed his mind. He has visitors and could use some of your gifts.”

“No problem,” Naaman said. He loaded two servants with many pounds of silver and two new sets of clothes.

When they came near to Elisha and Gehazi’s house, Gehazi took the things from Naaman’s servants and sent them back. Then he hid the clothes and money in his room before he went to wait on Elisha.

“Where have you been?” Elisha asked him.
1. What did Gehazi answer? (2 Kings 5:25 ) ____________

He should have been smarter than to try and hide anything from God’s prophet. For God had told Elisha exactly what had happened. “Didn’t I see you when you approached Naaman’s carriage?” Elisha asked. “This isn’t the time to collect stuff.”

2. Then Elisha told Gehazi what his punishment would be. What? (2 Kings 15:27) _______
Gehazi learned the hard way that it never pays to tell a lie.

PRAYER: Dear God, I can never fool you with a lie. Help me to learn that. Amen.

MORE: Old Lies
Have you ever told a lie and got away with it? Are you sure there is no one who knows about the lie you told?

Though you may never get found out the way Gehazi did, there is Someone who knows. God. And His opinion about lying is clear. He doesn’t approve of it and tells us in Proverbs that our unconfessed lies will eventually be punished (Proverbs 19:5,9).

Here are some things you can do to take care of old lies.
1. Admit they are sin and confess them to God.
2. Confess those lies to the people you lied to.
3. Ask God to help you recognize and overcome the habit of lying – in both words and actions.

Answers


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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

A Little Girl's Big Love

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Kings 5:1-14

TO CHEW ON: “Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, 'If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.' ” 2 Kings 5:2,3

Suppose you were a little girl who, one day, was captured by enemy soldiers. They took you far away from home. Alone in a new country, you had to work for the people who captured you. This was what happened to the little Israeli girl who worked for Captain Naaman’s wife.

One day she noticed her mistress was very sad. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“My husband has leprosy,” Naaman’s wife answered.

Now the little girl could have been selfish. She could have thought, this man’s soldiers took me away from my parents. He deserves to be sick. But that wasn’t her attitude. Instead she thought about how she could help Captain Naaman. And she thought of prophet Elisha. He did amazing things. He had even raised a little boy from the dead.

“If only my master could see the prophet who is in Samaria,” she said. “He would cure him of his leprosy.”


Naaman’s wife told this to Naaman. Soon he was on his way to find the prophet.

When he came to Elisha’s house, Elisha sent his servant with a message telling Naaman what to do: “Go wash yourself seven times in the Jordan.”


This instruction made Naaman furious. He thought the least Elisha would do was come out, pray and wave his hands over his leprosy. He wanted to turn around and go home. But his servants convinced him to do as the prophet had said.

Sure enough. After seven-dips in the Jordan, Naaman was healed! Because a little girl loved others – even her enemies – more than herself, God healed an army captain of leprosy.


PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to love others more than myself. Amen.

MORE: Leprosy
Leprosy was one of the most dreaded diseases in Bible times. There was no cure for it. It was also very contagious (spread easily from person to person). For that reason, a person who had leprosy had to move away from family and friends so their loved ones wouldn’t get sick too. They had to live alone or in colonies with other lepers.

Find out more about leprosy (now usually called Hansen’s disease) from books or the internet.
1. Do people still get leprosy?
2. Are there medicines to cure it?
3. How can you tell if a person has leprosy?
4. Find out about Father Damien, a missionary to lepers in Hawaii.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Death In Shunem

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Kings 4:27-37

TO CHEW ON: "He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the Lord." 2 Kings 4:33

Elisha and his servant Gehazi did a lot of traveling. One day they went to Shunem. A rich woman there invited them for a meal in her house. Then, knowing Elisha often traveled to Shunem, she and her husband fixed up a room for Elisha and his servant. Now every time they came to town, they had a place to stay.

One day Elisha asked the woman, “After all you’ve done for us, what can we do for you?”

“I have everything I need,” she said.

“She doesn’t have any children,” Gehazi said to Elisha after she had left.

“Right,” said Elisha. “Call her back.”

When the woman came, Elisha said to her, “By this time next year, God will give you a son.”

Sure enough, a year later, she had a baby boy. She had never been happier! But one day, when the little boy was with his dad, he got sick. “My head! My head!” he cried. Servants carried him home. But a little while later he died.


Immediately his mother saddled a donkey and went to find Elisha. If anyone would know what to do, he would. When she found him, she persuaded him to go back with her.

When Elisha got to the house in Shunem he went into the room where the little boy lay.

He was still and cold. Elisha closed the door and prayed to God. After a while, he lay on top of the little boy. Slowly Elisha felt him grow warm. Finally he sneezed, seven times, and then opened his eyes.

Elisha called the Shunamite woman in. He gave her little boy back to her, alive again. She couldn’t thank Elisha or God enough for the miracle of her dead little boy – come back to life.


PRAYER: Dear God, thank you for Your power over death. Amen

MORE: A Promise
Has someone close to you died – a grandparent, uncle, friend, brother, sister or parent? Perhaps you prayed before they died that God would keep them alive. Maybe you prayed after they died that God would make them live again.

Though God has the power to raise people from death, He often doesn’t. And so we experience death. It is a sad, sad time.

But Jesus has won the final war over death. And we know that someday, because of Jesus, we will again see our loved ones who have died. It’s a Bible promise you might want to memorize.

"For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable,* and we will be changed." - 1 Corinthians 15:52.

* ‘imperishable’ means a body or form that won’t decay or die. It will last forever.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

What Do You Have?

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Kings 4:1-7

TO CHEW ON: "Elisha replied, 'How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?'
'Your servant has nothing there at all,' she said, 'except a small jar of olive oil.'” 2 Kings 4:2

Elisha became a leader among the prophets like Elijah was before him. One day the wife of a prophet who had died came to Elisha with a big problem. “My husband owed a man some money,” she said. “Now that man says if I don’t pay back the debt, he’ll make my sons his slaves.”

“What do you have in your house?” Elisha asked.

“Only a little oil,” the woman replied.

“Here’s what to do,” Elisha said. “Send your boys out to gather oil containers. Collect as many as you can. Then close the door of your house and fill all those containers with the oil you have.”

How would she ever fill even one container with the little bit of oil she had, the woman wondered. Yet she did as Elisha said. After her sons had collected bottles, jugs and jars of all shapes and sizes from the neighborhood, they began to fill them. And an amazing thing happened. The oil never ran out – at least not till the very last container was full.


Excited, she went back to Elisha and told him what had happened.

“Now go sell that oil,” he said to her. “Use the money you get to pay your debt. Keep what’s left over to live on.”

Because the widow did what Elisha told her with the only thing she had, God gave her what she needed, and more.

What do you have? Give it to God and watch him multiply it too!

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to give myself and the things I have to You. Amen.


MORE: A What’s-in-your-house Collage
Make a collage of things you have in your house (no going out and buying supplies allowed).

- What you need:
Collage backing: cardboard cut from cereal boxes, packaging, cardboard boxes etc.
Collage materials: colorful magazine pictures, dried beans, seeds, rice, macaroni, buttons, sequins or glitter, shells etc.
Paste or glue: If you don’t have any in your house, make a paste with flour and water.
Scissors for cutting paper, or use your fingers to tear the paper into the shapes you want.

- What you do:
Arrange and glue materials onto the cardboard backing.
Display your collage in a place where you’ll see it often. Let it remind you that God can use the things you already have.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Double Strength

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Kings 2:1-15

TO CHEW ON: "When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, 'Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken from you?'
'Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,' Elisha replied." 2 Kings 2:9

One day as Elijah and Elisha were walking down the road, Elijah said, “God has told me to go to Bethel. But you stay here.”

Elisha had a strange feeling about this day. Somehow he knew that Elijah wouldn’t be with him much longer. He wanted to spend every minute he could with this incredible man. “No,” he replied. “I want to go with you.”

After spending some time in Bethel Elijah said “Now God is sending me to Jericho. You stay behind.”

But Elisha wouldn’t. He walked with Elijah to Jericho.

After they had visited the prophets in Jericho, Elijah said, “Now God is telling me to go to the Jordan, but you stay here.”

“I will not leave you,” Elisha replied.

When they got to the Jordan River, Elijah took off his robe, rolled it up and struck the water. Instantly it parted and the two men walked to the other side on dry ground.

“What can I do for you before God takes me away?” Elijah asked Elisha.

What should he ask for, Elisha wondered. He knew he didn’t want money or fame or nice things. What he wanted more than anything else was to be just like Elijah. “I want a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha answered.

“That’s a hard thing,” Elijah replied “You’ll get that only if you see God take me away.”

Then, as they were walking along, out of no where a chariot of fire and fiery horses appeared. In the next instant Elijah was swept away on the chariot and out of Elisha’s sight.



“My Father! My Father!” he called out. But Elijah was gone. All that was left was his robe. Elisha picked it up and walked back the way they came. When he got to the Jordan, he did just as Elijah had done. The water parted just like before.

Prophets watching on the other side of the Jordan saw what happened. “Elijah’s spirit is on Elisha,” they said. When they met him they promised to serve him like they had served Elijah.

Elijah wanted God’s best in his life. Because he had the determination and courage to go after it, God blessed him by answering his request.

PRAYER: Dear God, please put in my heart and mind to go after Your best for me. Amen

MORE: Mentors and Models
When Elisha got to know Elijah, he wanted to be like him. When Elijah asked Elisha what he wanted as a parting gift, more than money, nice things or popularity he wanted God’s power in his life just like he had seen it in Elijah.

Is there a Bible character, or a person that you’ve read about in a book, or someone you know of whom you would say, ‘I’d like to be just like that person?
Who is it?
Why do you want to be like that person?

You can pray that God will give you the godly qualities you see in their lives.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Quick to Follow

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Kings 19:19-21

TO CHEW ON: "Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah." 1 Kings 19:20

One of the jobs God gave Elijah was to find and call the person who would be the next prophet. We don’t know how Elijah knew which person to choose. God probably told him. Neither do we know much about the person he picked – Elisha – except that he was a farmer.

Elijah found Elisha in a field. He was plowing with oxen.

Elijah called him by going up to him and throwing his prophet cloak over Elisha’s shoulders. Our Bible doesn’t tell us if Elijah explained to Elisha what he meant by this. But Elisha knew exactly what Elijah was asking.

1. What did Elisha do? ( 1 Kings 19:20) ________

2. Did Elijah force Elisha to come with him? ________

"And Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah" 1 Kings 19:20
Artist's name – Diana Shimon
© Copyright – HaGefen Publishing / CWI Israel (used with permission).

For some reason Elisha was ready to follow Elijah. Maybe in the days just before Elijah came, he had been feeling restless about being a farmer. Maybe he had been asking God to show him what he should do instead. Maybe he had heard of Elijah, and wanted to get to know him. Whatever the reason, Elisha was ready for Elijah’s invitation and was quick to respond.

3. His answer was so definite, he made it impossible to change his mind and go back to farming. How? (1 Kings 19:21) ____

From that day on, Elisha’s life changed. He began traveling with Elijah as his helper

4. What lesson can we learn from Elisha:
a] that farming isn’t an important job?
b] that when God calls us, we should be quick to answer ‘yes’?

PRAYER: Dear God, please show me what You want me to do, and help me be answer “Yes.” Amen.


MORE: More “Yes” people
All through the Bible God used and blessed people who answered His call with “Yes.” Below are five Bible characters who did just that. Find their names in the Word Search puzzle.

1. James and John left their jobs as fishermen and follow Jesus. (Mark 1:16-18)
2. Gideon led Israel in their fight against the Midianites (Judges 6:13,14)
3. Moses left his desert home and lead the Israelites out of Egypt. (Exodus 3:10-12)
4. Abraham moved away from his home and family to a land God showed him. (Genesis 12:1)

"Created with Puzzlemaker on DiscoveryEducation.com".

(To print the word search puzzle alone, click on it, then print it from the window that opens.)


Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's.