WHEN THE SECOND TOUCH IS NECESSARY.

 ANCHOR OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE For SUNDAY, 16TH APRIL, 2023.

Author: PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE – General Overseer,  Anchor of Life & Redemption Ministry Int’l

Topic: WHEN THE SECOND TOUCH IS NECESSARY.

MEMORIZE: “And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. 26 And he sent him away to his house.” Mark 8:24-25.

SCRIPTURE READING: 2 Kings 4:25-36

“And so she departed, and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel. So it was, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to his servant Gehazi, "Look, the Shunammite woman!. 26 "Please run now to meet her, and say to her, 'Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?'" And she answered, "It is well." 27 Now when she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet, but Gehazi came near to push her away. But the man of God said, "Let her alone; for her soul is in deep distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me, and has not told me." 28 So she said, "Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say, 'Do not deceive me'?" 29 Then he said to Gehazi, "Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child." 30 And the mother of the child said, "As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So he arose and followed her. 31 Now Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, "The child has not awakened." 32 When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed. 33 He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD. 34 And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm. 35 He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36 And he called Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite woman." So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, "Pick up your son."”

EXPOSITION:

What is sick needs healing but what is dead needs not to be healed but resurrection (bringing back to life). The sudden death of the child who was so much a darling to the parents was so painful. He was with his father in the farm and complained of head ache, 2Ki 4:19. As believers, where should we go with our complaints, but to our heavenly Father? There the Spirit of adoption brings believers with all their grievances, all their desires, teaching them to cry, with groanings that cannot be uttered.

The mother of the decease cried to the man of God, Elisha for timely intervention. He thereby sent Gehazi, his servant, to go in all haste to the dead child, gave him his staff (a symbol of authority), and bade him lay that on the face of the child, 2Ki 4:29. It was suggested that such a power as this should not be delegated, not even to person like Gehazi who has no relationship with God? But at the end, the staff failed to produce result.

The woman resolved not to go back without the prophet himself (2Ki 4:30): she said, “I will not leave thee.” She had no great expectation from the staff but in the man of God himself. Gehazi returns without success, without the tidings of any sign of life in the child (2Ki 4:31): The child is not awaked. In the raising of dead souls to spiritual life, ministers can do no more by their own power than Gehazi here could; they lay the word, like the prophet's staff, before their faces, but there is neither voice nor hearing, till Christ, by his Spirit, comes himself. The letter alone kills; it is the Spirit that gives life. It is not prophesying upon dry bones that will put life into them, breath must come from heaven and breathe upon those slain. 

He prayed unto the Lord (2Ki 4:33), and he lay upon the child (2Ki 4:34), as if he would communicate to him some of his vital heat or spirits. Thus he expressed the earnestness of his desire, and gave a sign of that divine power which he depended upon for the accomplishment of this great work. He first put his mouth to the child's mouth, as if, in God's name, he would breathe into him the breath of life; then his eyes to the child's eyes, to open them again to the light of life; then his hands to the child's hands, to put strength into them. He then returned, and walked in the house, as one full of care and concern, and wholly intent upon what he was about.  Then he went up stairs again, and the second time, stretched himself upon the child, and the dead came back to life. 2Kings 4:35.  Those that would be instrumental in conveying spiritual life to dead souls must thus affect themselves with their case, and accommodate themselves to it, and labour fervently in prayer for them.

Why repetition?

* Elisha laid on the boy twice before he could be brought back to life – 2Kings 4:35.

* Ezekiel prophesied to the dry bones twice before a great host could come out of dry bones – Ezek 37:1-10.

* Jesus laid hands on the blind man twice before his eyes could see clearly – Mark 8:24-25.

* Bartimaeus had to call Jesus, the Son of David, twice before Jesus could give him his miraculous attention – Mark 10:47-49.

If the first touch of the Master did not get you the desired miracle, do not be discouraged, cry unto Him again and again until your joy is full. The Master has differs way of attending to people’s needs. A touch is enough for Bartimaeus but not for the other blind man in Mark 8:24-25. You may need the second touch of Jesus; it does not make Him weak or incapable. He is God, wait on Him.

ACTION POINT: Never underrate God over your situation if His first touch in your life is not producing desired result. Call for His second touch of perfection. He will surely answer you.

DAILY BIBLE READING IN A YEAR –  1 Chronicles 1-4.

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ANCHOR OF LIFE is the daily devotional guide of ANCHOR OF LIFE & REDEMPTION MINISTRY (ALRM), written by PASTOR DR. SAMUEL AYORINDE. It is an extraction of God’s word designed to draw the sincere seekers closer to God on a daily basis through an insightful exposition and analysis of God’s Word.

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