IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

Elisha's Shepherd Heart to Feed Others

Date: Mar. 7, 2019

Passage

2 Kings 4:38-44 (ESV)

38 And Elisha came again to Gilgal when there was a famine in the land. And as the sons of the prophets were sitting before him, he said to his servant, “Set on the large pot, and boil stew for the sons of the prophets.” 39 One of them went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered from it his lap full of wild gourds, and came and cut them up into the pot of stew, not knowing what they were. 40 And they poured out some for the men to eat. But while they were eating of the stew, they cried out, “O man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it. 41 He said, “Then bring flour.” And he threw it into the pot and said, “Pour some out for the men, that they may eat.” And there was no harm in the pot.

42 A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Elisha said, “Give to the men, that they may eat.” 43 But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” So he repeated, “Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the LORD, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’” 44 So he set it before them. And they ate and had some left, according to the word of the LORD.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 4:43

But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred men?” So he repeated, “Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the LORD, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’”

1. Elisha holds a conference during a famine (38-41)

By faith during a famine, Elisha held a Bible conference with 100 prophets. By faith, he commanded his servant to put on a large pot and make a stew for them. The servant searched for food, found unknowingly poisonous gourds and cut them into the stew. As soon as the men ate the stew, they realized it was deadly. By faith, Elisha put flour into the stew. Then the stew became edible -- and the conference was saved!

2. Elisha feeds 100 prophets (42-44)

Someone brought 20 loaves of bread to Elisha for his personal use. But he said, "Give it to the people to eat." The servant wondered how this could feed 100 men? Again, Elisha answered, "Give it to the people to eat." He absolutely believed God's promise that they would eat and have some left over. And, it happened exactly as the word of the Lord promised. Elisha was a shepherd who fed the people physically and spiritually by faith, in spite of the hard realities and revealed God's glory!

Prayer: Prayer: Lord, raise up shepherds who can feed God's flock by faith even in adversity and render glory to God!

One Word: God blesses Elisha's shepherd heart and faith

Daily Bread

King Josiah’s Contrite Heart

2 Kings 22:1-20

Key Verse: 22:11

When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes.

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