Why Stay There Until You Die?

“Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, "Why stay here until we die? If we say, ’We’ll go into the city’-the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.".” 2 kings 7:3-4

There are times when you need to take courageous action, when you are caught between a wall and a hard rock. When you are in the frying pan and jumping out would see you in the fire. When all you need to do is to jump out of the burning ship into the ocean. Why stay there until you die. Take action, do something serious and big. Do it with God.

This reminds me of one story I heard. There was a ship with tankers of oil on the sea to some country. The ship accidentally caught fire and many people perished by fire. Life savers jackets were destroyed. There was one boy who survived. When interviewed how he made it he made this remarkable statement. He said “I knew that if I remained in the ship I was going to be burnt but I didn’t know what I could face if I jump into the water so I jumped into the water and survived.” You know very well what can happen to you if you just watch your life in worry, boredom, sickness, poverty, fear, discouragement, sin, etc yet you just stay like that dying. You know what your evil thinking pattern ends you into serious messy, you know that this and that kind of behavior will see you in trouble one day but you keep on living like that. Why stay like that until you die. Take massive action in prayer for positive results.

These fellows in the above scripture were in serous trouble. There were outcast because of leprosy. No one was allowed to be in contact with them. At the same time their nation (Israel) was under fire from their enemies. During this time there was a severe hunger; babies were eaten in the city, and donkey’s heads being very expensive. There was a serious fatal situation. The outside the borders were surrounded by the enemies. There was death in the city and outside. Many people preferred to die in the city by just sitting there in fear but these fellows chose to die in the hands of the enemies by advancing towards their camps. You need to die fighting. You need to die on your knees praying than on your knees begging. You need to be bold and face your situations in fight. You need to die confessing victory than complaining.

Don’t worry how people look at you. You may be leprosy but refuse to just sit and die like that. You may be facing a giant don’t waste time looking how big it is, go against it. You might be hopeless right now. My friend don’t stay like that and die. You can do it. You can make it. You can bring the change the world and nation needs. You can do something big with God today. Don’t lookdown upon yourself. You are an image of God. Why stay there and die? Do something. Have the courage and boldness to change the changeable, move the moveable and more courage to change the unchangeable, move the immoveable. You can do it.

When the four leapers were moving close to the camps of the enemies, something wonderfully great happened. Verse 6 “for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, "Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!" 7 So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.”

As the four leapers were moving close a sound of mighty horses was heard in the enemies’ ears. They found the camps empty, with plenty of food, gold and all the weapons. God is mighty friend. Just start to move against your situation with God and see what happens. Don’t just sit there complaining, crying, wailing, mourning and wondering. Go against the situation with faith, with power of God, with courage knowing that something is going to happen.

God bless you!

Written by Raphiel Manenge 19/07/05.