By This Time Tomorrow

In 2 Kings Chapter 6, a story recently caught my eye. One of our partners sent it to me as a word from the Lord. And I felt that it is a word for all God’s people. The story is about Ben-Hadad, king of Syria who gathered all his army, and went up and besieged the city of Samaria. Due to the siege, there was a great famine in the city. They were eating unorthodox things such as a donkey’s head and dove droppings. And these items were not cheap, but cost a pretty penny if one had it. The situation was so dire that there was a woman who stooped down to the level of eating her child. Things were going from bad to worse for the people of God in the city of Samaria!

As I read this, I realized that this pattern was common throughout the Bible: the pattern of something bad happening BUT God. At creation, the earth was without form and void and darkness was on the surface of the deep. Ezekiel was in a valley, a low place full of very dry bones. Bones implied death and they’ve been dead a very long time. In the boat with Jesus, His 12 disciples, 4 who were experienced fishermen, faced a storm of hurricane-like proportions and feared for their lives. Over and over again, the Bible displayed impossible situations. And this happens in our lives as well. We each have a circumstance, a situation, a need, a storm, a mountain, or an impossibility. Whatever you want to call it, it is not good!

In this story, there is this response we see from the king of Israel where he knew if God didn’t intervene, it was not going to end well. He said to the women who asked for his help, “If the Lord does not help you, where can I find help for you?” Scripture even gives us another glimpse, in that he had sackcloth on his body. Sackcloth was an outward sign of an inward humility. Humility says, “Without God, I can’t.” This king knew they needed God and postured his heart in humility before Him. In the same way, our hearts need to be in a place of humility, knowing that without God our situations won’t change. Like the king, our cry is “God, if you don’t show up this is not going to end well. I need you to step in!”

Now Elisha steps in, and says, “Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: ‘Tomorrow about this time ….’ ” The man of God heard the word of God and told them that by that time tomorrow, it would all turn around! What you’ve been eating you won’t eat anymore, but the flour and barley will be in abundance and affordable! And it happened! Everything the man of God prophesied came to pass. When? By that time the next day! God did it for them and He will do it for you and me too!

The word of the Lord to you and me today is, “BY THIS TIME TOMORROW ….!”

Fill in the blank. God is turning the situation around. For Ezekiel, the bones came to life! At Creation, light shone! For the disciples, the storm was stilled! And for you, your situations and circumstances will change for the good! Your needs will be met! Your mountain will move! Your impossibility will be possible!

2 Kings 7:16 says, “Then the people went out and plundered the tents of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord.” Notice, it was “according to the word of the Lord.” In this hour, don’t entertain anything else BUT His Word. God’s Word is settled in heaven but it’s up to us to settle it here on the earth. God has decreed His Word in the heavens over you and your situations but it is up to you to declare His Word on earth. The cry of Jesus was and is “on earth as it is in heaven”. You must declare on the earth what He has decreed (as already done) in heaven.

Today, what’s your problem? Come to the place in your heart that you realize without His help it won’t change. Humble your heart depending on His intervention. Then ask yourself, “What did God say?” In His written word and what has He spoken to you personally. Finally, declare these words out loud over your life, family, and situations. And get ready, because BY THIS TIME TOMORROW IT WILL ALL CHANGE!