2 Kings 2

God is life. No matter how barren a place, no matter how dead, His Spirit can bring new life. At least, that’s what we see happening in this chapter of 2 Kings: "The people of [Jericho] said to Elisha, 'Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.' 'Bring me a new bowl,' he said, 'and put salt in it.' So they brought it to him. Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, 'This is what the Lord says: "I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive."' And the water has remained pure to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken." (vs 19-22)

Jericho. Remember, this was the wicked city that Joshua had cursed hundreds of years before. It’s also the city that Hiel rebuilt at the expense of his oldest and youngest sons. (Interestingly, Hiel was from Bethel, the same city which was home to the boys who mocked Elisha at the end of this chapter. It seems Bethel was a breeding ground for folks who liked to worship false gods.)

So, even though Jericho had been rebuilt, it was still under the "curse." The people who lived there said that the water was undrinkable and the land was infertile. But God, in His mercy through Elisha, restored the quality of the water and land for the people. Once again, I find God’s mercy amazing! Even though this city had been rebuilt against His wishes, He graciously provided for those who were living there.

God specializes in bringing life out of barren places. He delights in bringing blessings from a curse. And just as He restored the water in the city of Jericho, He can bring new life to all the dead places in our lives. No curse is too strong for Him!

Photo © shutterstock.com/Sanit Fuangnakhon