A day for good news!
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Isaiah 52:7 (NIV)
It is true to say that everyone loves good news. News reports today rarely contain good news, and headlines in the press make us sad. So, with that in mind, I would like to tell you a story about ‘really good news’ and we find it, of all places, in 2 Kings 7:3-9. It concerns four lepers who sat at the gate of the city of Samaria. The city was under siege by the army of the Aramaeans and to make matters worse, there was also a great famine. These four men asked themselves the question, ‘ “Why stay here until we die? If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’—the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.” ’
The story continues, ‘At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans… no one was there, for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so…they got up and fled…abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys…and ran for their lives.’
The lepers went into the deserted camp, ate and drank, and carried off silver, gold, and clothing, and hid them. Then they returned and entered the next tent and did the same thing and hid the booty. Then they said to each other, ‘ “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves.” ’
And so, these outcasts became the bearers of good news to their people! Their courage in sharing this great bounty with all those who were suffering is an example for us. If you knew where great treasure was buried, and that treasure gave abundant life, love and joy to everyone who knew the way and found it, would you want to keep it a secret? Hmmm!
Prayer
In your righteousness – ‘Lead us, Lord!’ Amen.
Study by Cliff Neill
About the writer:
Cliff Neill is a Minister in the Hemel Hempstead congregation of Grace Communion International, where he is on the leadership team.
Local congregation:
GCI Hemel Hempstead
Adeyfield Free Church Centre
Maylands Avenue
Hemel Hempstead HP2 4GZ
Meeting time:
Sunday 10:30am
Hemel Hempstead is also on Zoom, please email congregational contact below for the link
Local congregational contact:
Shirley McLean
Email: hemel@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church