Walking Into Danger

Recently I read a passage from 2 Kings 7 that brought hope to my world. The courage to continue walking into battle, or simply through life's daily challenges, may be daunting, frightening and can bring rapid fatigue. When embarking on a God-assignment, He doesn't always provide pathways that are familiar to us. God always brings opportunities for growth--He is a proponent of resistance training! I will have to say that as Brenda and I embark on new vistas, and as we grow older, it's tempting to retire the pioneer spirit and settle-down into what has worked for us in the past. The problem with that notion is Brenda and I are suckers for adventure.

In 2 Kings 7, three lepers were hanging out at the city's main gate pondering whether to sit around and eventually die or, even worse, go the enemy camp of the Arameans and be killed or, in a long-shot, be spared. Their hope had diminished to a suicidal low. They decided that action (some critics may say stupidity) was better than passivity. The story continues...

5 At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, not a man was there, 6 for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, "Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!" 7 So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.

8 The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp and entered one of the tents. They ate and drank, and carried away silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them.

As I study the behavior of these poor lepers I am impressed by their ultimate fearlessness. I am more impressed that God kicked out the enemy and provided the lepers with an opportunity they didn't deserve and could never have earned in a million years. Because those three men took a chance, they came away with much more than survival...they were blessed beyond their wildest dreams! My prayer today is to have the courage to walk into danger, if need be--to follow the voice of the Holy Spirit as He calls my name-- to move forward into the unknown, toward the high calling in Christ.