“Elisha said, ‘Hear the word of the Lord: Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’ Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, ‘If the Lord himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?’ But he said, ‘You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.’
“Now there were four men who were lepers at the entrance to the gate. And they said to one another, ‘Why are we sitting here until we die? If we say, “Let us enter the city,” the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die.’ So they arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. But when they came to the edge of the camp, behold, there was no one there. For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians hear the sound of chariots and of horses, the sound of a great army… So they fled away and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their donkeys… And when these lepers came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent and ate and drank, and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and went and hid them. Then they came back and entered another tent and carried off things from it and went and hid them…
“Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord.” 2 Kings 7:1-8,16
The Lord has a way of redeeming the lack in our lives and drawing attention to His marvelous ways by doing so. Practically, He uses dearth to draw us to Him as Jehovah Jireh, the great provider, and we learn through cycles of need and plenty that He is enough, and always gives all we need. Isn’t it true after life’s famines, where we hunger for so long, that anything we taste and eat- food, health, companionship, inspiration, peace- is sweeter than it’s ever tasted before? (Psalm 145:15-16)
The amazing thing about God is that He not only meets our needs, but satisfies every desire with good things and often does more than we ask or imagine. As He puts to rest our frenzied fleshly need, not willing to let us be satisfied with lesser things, He is magnified. (Psalm 103:5; Ephesians 3:20; John 4:13-14)
How is He using a famine in finances, health, emotional support, or a relationship, to point us to His inexhaustible storehouse? Where is a gnawing for meaning at a new season of life, or purpose in a new assignment or location, drawing us to find deeper satisfaction in Him? Do we trust Him enough to look for even unconventional ways He might provide?
Father, teach me in every famine to see You anew, trust Your economy, and give You thanks and highest praise for Your kept promises.
As the rain and snow 