July 8, 2026; 2 Kings 6

Daily Dose of Hope July 8, 2026   Scripture: 2 Kings 6   Prayer:  Holy God, We rejoice and give praise for the ways you care for us.  We rejoice and give praise for how you continue to forgive us and give us second and third chances.  Help us seek lives characterized by your holiness.  Help us seek pure hearts.  Lord, in these next few moments of silence, hear our prayers and help us bring together all our scattered thoughts and focus on you...It's in your name we pray, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently working our way through 2 Kings.   Today, our reading is 2 Kings 6.  In this chapter, we see God continue to do miracles through the prophet Elisha. It appears that Elisha has developed a much more amicable relationship with the king of Israel. When Aram went to war with Israel, Elisha used his prophetic skills to warn the king of Israel when harm was eminent so he could be on guard. Not surprisingly, this frustrated the king of Aram who suspected he had a spy in his ranks. But one of his officers knew that it was in fact Elisha who was providing the king of Israel with the information he needed to protect himself. Thus, the army of Aram is sent to capture Elisha.   Later in the chapter, the army of Aram has surrounded the town of Dothan, where Elisha was living in order to capture him. Elisha prays to the Lord, asking for the army to be struck with blindness and God does it. This allows Elisha to lead the army out of Dothan and into Samaria. Once in Samaria, the soldiers' sight returns. The king of Israel asks Elisha if the men should be killed. But Elisha wants to show them mercy, so the king feeds them and sends them back home.   Some reflections from today's text: ·      When in doubt, show mercy. God is a merciful God.  We are called to be merciful people. ·      Err on the side of grace. We've been shown immense grace; let's be sure to demonstrate it toothers. ·      Believe that God is on your side. Your God loves you and wants the best for you. Trust in that.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki