"Pass It On!"

The city of Samaria was besieged by the Syrian army (read 2 Kings 7).  As a result, a great famine arose in the city.  Four leprous men stood outside of the city discussing their plight.  
They reasoned among themselves, "Why are we sitting here until we die?  If we say, 'We will enter the city,' the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. Now therefore, come, let us surrender to the army of the Syrians. If they keep us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall only die’" (3-4).

The four leprous men rose at twilight the next morning to go to the camp of the Syrians.  When they came to the outskirts of the Syrian camp, to their surprise no one was there.  Why had the camp been deserted?  “The LORD had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses; the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, ‘Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!’" (v. 6).  The Syrian army evacuated in a panic, leaving the camp intact.

When these lepers came to the outskirts of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from it silver and gold and clothing, and went and hid them.  Then they came back and entered another tent, and carried some from there also, and went and hid it (v. 8). Then their consciences began to hurt them.  They said to one another, "We are not doing right.... 

This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent!"

If we wait until morning light, some punishment will come upon us. Now therefore, come, let us go and tell the king's household" (v. 9).  They shared the good news, and the famine ended!

Christians also have good news that is too good to keep!  

The good news (or gospel) is... that Jesus came into the world to save sinners (Matthew 1:21).  Because of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection -- the facts of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-3) -- we may have salvation from our sins and the hope of living eternally with Him in heaven.  The good news is... that those who believe in Jesus (Acts 16:31), confess His name (Romans 10:9-10), repent of their sin and are baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38) are saved  from their past sins.  As the Christian continues to walk in the light as He is in the light, The good news is... that the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse him from his sin (1 John 1:7).  Jesus is the author of salvation to all those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9).

Friends, if we are not sharing the good news of Jesus, then the words of those guilt-stricken lepers ring true for us as well:  “We are not doing right.

This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent.”

Our response must be that of the four leprous men who had found treasure:  
“Let us go and tell” others!  Let’s share the good news!  

We encourage you to use the Living Water devotional as a tool for outreach for Christ.

Pass it on!

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God bless you!

David A. Sargent, Minister 

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

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