(2 Kings 7:1-2, Joshua 9:14, 2 Samuel 21:1-14)
The Lord is always speaking. Even when we thinking He is not, He is. Nonetheless, He speaks through divers ways.
1) Knowing that He is speaking is critically important. In 2 Kings 7:1-2, the Chief did not know that the Lord of heaven and earth was speaking through Elisha. Even though verse one says,
Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD…
He disregarded it. May be he could not differentiate when God speaks from when men speak, something was certainly wrong about his knowledge of knowing when God speaks.
2) Hearing God right (well) is another point that must be dealt with through prayer and the studying of the Bible on how He speaks. Sometime ago, a group of people were said to be asking for instruction from the Lord, on if they should allow some visitors in their midst. The Lord’s response came as a revelation that showed a woman backing a baby but the baby was upside down. Unfortunately, this group had two different interpretation of this revelation and possibly did not ask further from God for clarification. Of course, the visitors joined them and the relationship was almost a generational failure. So, hearing God well is also crucial. Where we are not so sure of the meaning of God’s instruction or how to go about it let us ask Him further.
Ultimately, doing what the Lord says diligently, just as he wants, should be our great concern. The King’s business requires haste and must be done diligently. This must be our motto about doing what the instruction of God says.
Finally, it is a grave blunder if we miss the Lord’s instruction for whatever reason. In some cases, the unfavorable result may be redeemable while in some it is irredeemable. We should also be mindful of the fact that the result may last for several generations or seem almost forever. Please study this from Joshua 9:14, 2 Samuel 21:1-14 to see how they cost Joshua, Saul and Israel blunder that last many generations.
1 Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.
2 And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites werenot of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.)
3 Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?
4 And the Gibeonites said unto him, We will have no silver nor gold of Saul, nor of his house; neither for us shalt thou kill any man in Israel. And he said, What ye shall say, that will I do for you.
5 And they answered the king, The man that consumed us, and that devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel,
6 Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give them.
Prayer Points
1) Lord, give me the Spirit to humbly, patiently and diligently receive instructions from You, in Jesus name.
2) Lord, open my spiritual ears, eyes and mind to know when You are speaking, in Jesus name.
3) Lord Jesus, help me not to misplaced “human discretion” for “spiritual discernment”.
4) Grace of God to be timely with obedience to God’s instruction enter into me and possess my life.
5) Blood of Jesus, blot out every blunder I have fallen into because of not hearing or obeying you well in Jesus name.
