This morning as I was spending time with Jesus, I felt it impressed on my heart to read 2 Kings 2.
At first I was reluctant. I’m currently soaking in the delicious book of Song of Solomon… yet I followed the Lead and read 2 Kings 2.
A few things jumped out at me- but what resonated so deeply was verse 19-22:
*19 The people of the city said to Elisha, “Look, ·master, this city is ·a nice place to live [well/pleasantly situated/located] as you can see. But the water is so bad the land ·cannot grow crops [is unproductive/unfruitful].”20 Elisha said, “Bring me a new bowl and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.21 Then he went out to the ·spring [water source] and threw the salt in it. He said, “·This is what the LORD says, ‘I have ·healed [purified; made wholesome] this water. From now on it won’t cause death, ·and it won’t keep the land from growing crops [or unfruitfulness/unproductiveness/or miscarriage].’” 22 So the water has been ·healed [purified; made wholesome] to this day just as Elisha had said.*
As we prepare for The Beautiful Series Event on October 1, what I’ve felt so strongly, right from the beginning, was that Daddy God wants to heal women in a way that, for many, has so far been overlooked.
Oh! I teared up this morning as I read Jesus speaking about one of the things Daddy sent Him to this earth for!
In Luke 4:18 Jesus says,
“He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted”.
I once heard someone say this healing of broken hearts seems to be a forgotten or unrecognised part of what Jesus did for us.
Over the years I’ve come across countless people with broken hearts.
As I read 2 Kings 2 this morning I felt this ministry of broken hearts being emphasised again.
In that portion of Scripture the people in this city pretty much say their place is fantastic! However… the water is bad.
I instantly thought of us- there we are cruising along- on the outside we seem wonderful. Other people look at us and think we have it made- but, our water is bad.
Without water nothing lives.
Bad water is just as good as no water.
Bad water can make us sick. Really, really sick. People die from drinking bad water.
Yet, for many the water is bad.
And it’s bad not out of choice but, perhaps, because of a brokenness we carry.
What’s interesting is that in some translations John 7:38 reads that rivers of living water will flow from our hearts.
Would it not make sense perhaps that a broken heart might not be able to function as it should? That the water from it would not be as wholesome and life giving as it should be?
Let’s go back to 2 Kings 2…
When the people tell Elisha their city’s great but something’s wrong with the water- Elisha goes to the source of the water (the root of where the issue is), and throws salt in it.
Then Elisha says, God says: “‘I have ·healed [purified; made wholesome] this water. From now on it won’t cause death, ·and it won’t keep the land from growing crops [or unfruitfulness/unproductiveness/or miscarriage].
Oh! How beautiful is that!
The Scripture goes on to say “So the water has been ·healed to this day”.
For me that salt is a picture of Jesus. It is Him who does the healing. It was a huge part of His ministry while He was on this earth. It continues to be a HUGE part of His ministry today.
For many of us, at one point or other, we come to the end of ourselves.
We realise that like that city in 2 Kings 2 we seem fantastic- but there are parts of us that are still hurting.
Just like the city was beautiful but unproductive, I believe the same happens to us- we seem great but we’re unproductive and seem to wobble along instead of living fully in the purpose God made us for.
For every hurt Jesus wants to heal.
He’s already paid for that healing in full and He wants us to experience it.
I pray this blesses someone this morning.
You’re on my heart.
Hannah