I love the word “give” in the Bible because “give” is a grace word.
-Dr. Tony Evans
2 Kings 5-
Naaman is healed of leprosy.
The Word describes him as a man of honor and through him...
“The Lord had given victory to Syria”
He was a man of valor... “but a leper”
2 Kings 5:1
We can debate why he had leprosy...
but the point is God provides a means to give Him a healing
“Give”
For God so loved the world that He gave...
Silver and gold have I not, but what I do have I give....
After Naaman is healed he desires to give a gift or present to Elisha and Elisha says “no”
Why?
God’s gifts don’t come with a monetary price tag
2 Kings 5:16
“He then went back to the Holy Man {Elisha}, he {Naaman} and his entourage, stood before him, and said, “I now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no God anywhere on earth other than the God of Israel. In gratitude let me give you a gift.” “As GOD lives,” Elisha replied, “the God whom I serve, I’ll take nothing from you.” Naaman tried his best to get him to take something, but he wouldn’t do it.”
2 Kings 5:15-16 MSG
“There is power in the Name ... but that power can only be used by a person who bears connection with the Person. You can’t expect an appliance to work if it’s not plugged in. Peter said ‘what I have I give you’ !”
Dr Tony Evans
Elisha didn’t want a gift because he truly knew who performed the miracle- Yahweh, The Lord Almighty.
John 18:11
In this familiar scene in John’s Gospel, in contrast to a healing, Peter is desiring to cut and destroy.
“Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?””
John 18:10-11 NKJV
The gift’s value comes from the Giver.
God gave us His Son, the Son gave us the Holy Spirit....
God is a GOOD Giver...
Even if the gift is a cup.
Jesus endures such horrific pain to GIVE you life.
He tells Peter (paraphrase)
“Stop Pete. If my Father has given me this cup of suffering, then I will gladly drink it”
We don’t like suffering.
No one does.
But if you can look at suffering through the lens of Christ, it will literally change your life.
God is not punishing you...
God loves to give.
He loves to give so much He will take things away to give you His very best...Himself
I love the song “Another in the fire” by Hillsong that illustrates this well.
“There’ll be another in the fire
Standing next to me
There’ll be another in the waters
Holding back the seas
And should I ever need reminding
How good You’ve been to me
I’ll count the joy come every battle
‘Cause I know that’s where You’ll be”
Dr Tony Evans says
“give” in the Bible is a grace word.
So come what may, if we look at our trials as gifts to cause us to see Jesus more clearly, we can drink the cup and trust God will turn ashes into beauty.
