Once upon a precious time there were four lepers who came to their senses and realized they could no longer sit outside the city gates. They realized if they continued to sit where they had been sitting - where society required them to sit - nothing was going to happen. And their situation was so dire that their actual words were (in the most impactful KJ translation) “Why sit we here until we die?”
These four men had everything to gain and nothing to lose, quite like where we are now as a church body. We’ve tried a number of things, and some of those things have worked, but with a success that was limited. It’s time now for forward motion. Forward motion is the solution. motion is the solution. It’s time now to rise up out of the things we’ve clung to and begin walking - out of our caves and out of the comfortability of what we’ve known. It’s time now. To face our enemies and our fears, and all the defeatist attitudes that have disabled us.
For this is what the lepers did. Because if they went back inside the city gates they’d starve, and if they stayed where they were they’d face the same fate. So they made the decision to face their enemy and walk toward the Assyrian camp. And when they did the Lord did a curious thing. As they began walking – and only as they began walking – He caused the Assyrians to hear the noise of a great army marching toward their camp. Three feeble bodies worn down by leprosy began walking, and the Lord caused their steps to sound like the noise of horses and chariots.
Yes, the Lord came alongside of those four leprous men. And when He did He caused their enemies to flee for their lives. And in their haste to flee, the Assyrians left everything behind for the taking. Everything. An abundance of food, animals, clothing, even gold and silver. In one day, the Lord turned things around and all of the spoils of war were transferred over into the hands of God’s people. This is why we must arise and walk for there is abundance on the other side, but we must be willing to walk and to keep walking.
Because the God we serve will partner with those of us willing to take those first steps of faith in a new direction. And turn things around on our behalf. Because there are spoils waiting for us to gather, very much like the spoils left behind in 2 Kings 7. And as the four leprous men found themselves in the midst of a siege and a famine, we find ourselves at the half-way point of this decade, but we must not stay here, in this middle place. We must break on through to the other side. We must be willing to embark on the journey the Lord has for each one of us.
For myself, I must continue walking through this process of selling my home here in Oregon, despite multiple set-backs over the years. I must continue to do the things that need to be done to market this home. They’re not fun, but I will do them, as will my husband. We’ll partner together and we’ll continue walking. We’ll not grow weary, we’ll not faint, we’ll not lose heart or hope. This is the course the Lord has set before us and we’ll continue this course, even in the midst of the unknowing.
But I take heart in knowing I’m in good company. It wasn’t until the priests took steps into the Jordan River that it opened up for them to cross through into their promised land. And the ten lepers weren’t healed until they took the steps to go show themselves to the priest. It was only as they walked that they were healed. Therefore this example of the four lepers isn’t the exception, it’s a solid biblically principle.
What is the course the Lord has set before you? It may not be a new geographical location, but the Lord bids each one of us to enter into a journey this year. And as we rise up and walk, there are familiar things that are no longer serving us well. These are the things we must leave behind in order to have the momentum to go forward, but His grace is more than sufficient. It is a year of multiplied grace, great grace. Therefore, let us be up and about and be about our Father’s business. He has promised to secure out steps.
“Arise, let us be on our way” - Jesus to His disciples, John 14:31 NRSV
Y.M. 1.5.25