photo #5624149

"Salvation for the Starving" "And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household." (2 Kings 7:8-9)In verses 3-7 in this same chapter, we read about the Syrian army that had laid siege to the capital of Israel, Samaria. The people inside the city were slowly starving to death. Some of them even ate their own babies. The king of Israel became furious against the Lord and His prophet and determined to kill him. When he arrived at the room of the prophet Elisha, Elisha prophesied that the next day there would be an abundance of food. That was very hard to believe, but the king backed off.A group of lepers decided to go out to the Syrian camp. They thought that by staying they would probably die, but by going, they might find mercy. When they arrived, the army was gone, and all their goods were still there. They began to raid the tents, eating and drinking, hiding the goods until their conscience got to them. They knew they needed to tell the starving people of the city.The king of Israel thought it was a trap, so he sent a small group of chariots to see what had happened. They followed a trail of forsaken goods all the way to the Jordan River. The Lord had caused the sound of a great army to frighten the Syrians away.You know folks, we were like those lepers before we came to Christ. We had lived in a land starving for truth. We were desperate for peace and the joy to fill our hearts.Then one day, we found the answer in abundance and began to stow that Truth in our hearts, hiding it there. But oh, our conscience got the best of us. We thought about all the others who are wandering about like we once did, slowly dying, waiting for someone to tell them the good news that our fiercest enemy had been defeated at Calvary. Salvation now is free and it's for all because Jesus Christ paid the price when He cried, "It is finished."Friends, like those lepers of old, "we do not well" by hoarding for ourselves the grandest News from Heaven that salvation is available to all who are starving for the Truth. Time is running out for many. Now is the day of salvation for any and all who will hear and accept it.