When God Wants to Help But You Deny It is a sermon teaching us that God wants to help us but we so often reject His help through unbelief.

We all have habits including bad habits. Sometimes we have a habit of wanting to do certain things but not allowing God to do His will and His work first. Sometimes we have a habit to do something we think is right but we haven’t asked God if it’s something He would want done. When bad things happen sometimes we think God didn’t get us out of it, instead, think that we got out of it ourselves. God is in the helping business, but often, man doesn’t want it. We know God controls all things and allows man to receive praise for the things they have done. But we should always give God the glory.

God can use anybody, including you, but we need to let Him use us. There are many examples in scripture when God wants to help but we deny it. We can learn from II Kings chapter 7 which presents one of those examples…

Elisha’s Promise for Food

Israel fell into a famine and there was huge inflation. The king of Israel wanted to get rid of Elisha. But Elisha told the king that this time tomorrow, prices will stabilize. We are facing uncertain times today with this pandemic and we do not know what the next day holds. But God wants to help us. The king thought maybe it will rain again, but in disbelief. Elisha said it will happen, but the king would not partake of it. The king wants a see it to believe it scenario.

The Socially Distant Lepers

Leprosy is very infectious and had no cure or treatment during Elisha’s time. Lepers had to go away from society, practicing social distancing, until they were recovered. They were at the city gate and could not go into the city. Because of the famine, they would die whether or not they went into the city. They decided to go to the Syrians, Israel’s enemy. They went at twilight to the Syrian camp. There was no man there. It was because the Lord caused a loud noise like chariots, horses, and forces of four different armies, which frightened the Syrian army and they fled for their lives leaving everything behind. The lepers ate and drank and continued through the camp and took goods and wealth and hid it. The lepers then said that they did not do well. Because this day was a day of good tidings and they kept it to themselves. They decided to tell the king if Israel and share the wealth. They told the porter at the gate what happened and it was relayed to the king. It was the time that had Elisha foretold.

Rewards and Recompense

The king was told of the news. The king thinks it’s a ploy to let down their guard so the Syrians will ambush them. Some were sent to verify the story. Goods were strewn everywhere from the fleeing Syrians. The king was not going to acknowledge that. The people went and took all they could from the Syrian camp and life came back to normal.

We need to be patient and ease up through this pandemic. We need to come back to God and rely on Him. The king was trampled to death by the people going to get the Syrian goods. It was because of a lack of faith by the king that he met his demise. We should honor God. He wants to be a blessing to us. He will also judge those who are against Him. He also wants man to believe in Him and not reject Him. The sin of unbelief is a serious one. We ask for help and at the same time deny help from God. We should ask God for His help and wisdom especially in times like these we need Him, we need a Savior. We need a God that can do anything but fail. God wants to help us, but unfortunately, some people reject it and deny it. May we not be people who reject God’s help. God wants to help us through what we’re experiencing now. In due time, we will understand why these things came to be.

We need to look to God and see what He wants us to do. Also, trust Him. See the change in your life when Jesus comes into your heart. Trust Him in times like these. Although we may not understand why we are going through difficult times, we will see in time why all these things have taken place.

When God Wants to Help But You Deny It sermon starts with verses from II Kings 7:1-29:

¹ Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.

² Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

³ And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?

⁴ If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.

⁵ And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.

⁶ For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.

⁷ Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.

⁸ And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.

⁹ Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household.

¹⁰ So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were.

¹¹ And he called the porters; and they told it to the king’s house within.

¹² And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.

¹³ And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, (behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it: behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites that are consumed:) and let us send and see.

¹⁴ They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see.

¹⁵ And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king.

¹⁶ And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

¹⁷ And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.

¹⁸ And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria:

¹⁹ And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

²⁰ And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.

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