Why Sit There And Die?

Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die?” – II Kings 7:3

A story is told in the book of II Kings chapter 6 and 7 of a crisis that fell on the nation of Israel after they were invaded by the king of Syria. This crisis created a famine that was so dire that a woman was tricked into eating her own child. During this crisis, the prophet Elisha prophesied that God would restore the city, but because of unbelief, the officer of the king did not believe him (2 Kings 7:1-2).

Meanwhile, there were four leprous men who were at the entrance of the city gate, hungry and afraid to enter the city because of the famine. Lepers had a contagious skin disease that made them unclean according to Old Testament regulations. Lepers were isolated from the population until they were healed (miraculously, if at all) or until they were dead. The only place these lepers could find food was at the Syrian camp, but they were afraid to go because they might be killed by the Syrians. They realized that whether they stayed where they were, entered the city, or went where the Syrians were, they would die.

They mustered up enough courage and took the path with the most chance for them to survive. They approached the outskirts of the Syrian camp. To their surprise, there was no one there. There was plenty of food and treasure, but no people. The Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and horses and the noise of a great army, which caused them to flee. They thought that the king of Israel had hired the king of the Hittites and the Egyptians to attack them. After eating and getting their share of the treasure, the lepers went to the king of Israel and informed him about what had happened. This led the Israelites to plunder the tents of the Syrians, and the prophecy that was told by Elisha came to pass (2 Kings 7:5-20). The courage of the lepers and their refusal to die prematurely not only saved their lives, but made them heroes and saved the lives of others.

It can be easy to take a defeated posture during a crisis. With decreased revenues, limited sales opportunities, unavailable credit line or high interest; with unemployment and the uncertainty of not knowing when all this will end, you may be tempted to throw in the towel. These are the times when the entrepreneur should be most alert and ready for action. These are the times of great risks and great rewards. Like the lepers, you have nothing to lose but everything to gain.

Do not simply rely on what you see, but trust in a God that can do more than you can hope, think, and even imagine. Trust in a God who can part the Red Sea, who can open blind eyes and raise the dead-who is still performing miracles in the life of the believer.

Do not sit there and die! Rather, with great courage, seek the Lord for wisdom and direction, adjust your plan to reflect the reality of the times. And like the lepers, press forward toward the direction where there is provision. Make those phone calls to prospective clients, send out those promotional materials, visit those customers, and call those creditors and vendors. What is the worst thing that can happen? Give it all you’ve got, and I guarantee you the Lord will meet you more than half-way. Who knows? Your success may lead to God using you to save the lives of others, or at least cause them to turn to the God who saves.

My prayer for you today is that God will grant you encouragement in the midst of discouraging circumstances that you may be preserved to fulfill your destiny.