2 Kings 4:38–41 ‘Man of God, there is death in the pot!’ (v40)
God can answer our prayers through His miraculous intervention, but He also can use practical means, as we see illustrated today.
Elisha is responsible for the company of prophets who travel with him, and when they have to scavenge for food in a famine-affected land, one of the servants gathers some wild gourds for them to eat.
Some biblical commentators think these were a small yellow melon known as the ‘Apple of Sodom’, whose poisonous properties can be fatal.
But these gourds can be ingested when flour is added to the soup, as the flour absorbs the bitterness and makes them edible.
This is a case of God intervening by giving Elisha wisdom and knowledge about His creation.
This story can remind us that although at times God works miraculously in our lives, He also can use the everyday things we encounter in our world to effect His changes.
We need not despise the ordinary, thinking He’ll only work through spiritual means. Indeed, He may be calling us to root ourselves more firmly in the things of life, that we may depend on Him not only when He exercises His amazing and awe-inspiring times of intervention but when He speaks to us through His gentle whispers.
As you consider the stuff of life, think back to any miracles you’ve seen God do as rooted in nature, like the one Elisha did with the soup. How has His involvement in this way changed you?
A Prayer To Make:
‘Lord of ordinary miracles, work in my life. Make a way where there seems to be no way, and give me hope. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
Engage in a practical action for someone that might to them feel miraculous (helping out a neighbour, paying for someone’s shopping, reading to a child).
Scripture To Consider:
Ps. 77:13–14; Jer. 32:16–17; Matt. 17:17–20; John 4:46–48
