Scripture Reading: II Kings 6:24-31

I. What Golden Needs to have is the Heart of a Leper (II Kings 7)

A. The Contrast between those who lean on man & those who lean on God (vs. 1-2)

1. God blesses the faith of those who TRUST – but condemns faithlessness
a. (Faithlessness – quote Heb. 11:1, 6)
b. (Faith – Pro. 3:5; Heb. 11:3), “Trust in the Lord w/all your heart – and do not lean…” – “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God – so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”
c. Choice is ours – Rom. 11:22, “Behold the Kindness & severity of the Lord; - to those who fell, severity, - but to you God’s kindness , if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you…”

B. When God makes a promise – even when it doesn’t seem possible – we must act (vs. 3-4)

1. (Rom. 4:19-20), “And without becoming weak in faith – he contemplated his own body, - now as good as dead since… - yet with respect to the promise of God he did not waiver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God.”
2. (Matt. 25:24-25), “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, gathering where… - And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground, see,…”
3. When we are truly seeking the blessings of God – what we have to lose is as nothing – compared with what we have to gain!

C. God promises His people victory – before we ever take the first step of faith (vs. 5-7)

1. (Num. 14:1-9).
a. BUT WE MUST TAKE THAT STEP!
b. (Num. 14:31), “Your children, whom you said would become a prey [v. 3] – I will bring them in, and they shall know the land which you have rejected!”

D. Those who receive God’s blessings – have the responsibility to share them (vs. 8-9)

1. God blesses His people – so we can be a conduit of His blessings to others
a. –(II Cor. 9:6, 10-11).
b. But if we refuse to act – God will use others who will be faithful – (Esth. 4:14).

E. People who lack faith - will always find an excuse - to not take a step of faith (vs. 10-12)

1. A lack of faith – is more about faith in our ability to fail- than faith in God’s power to succeed!!
a. (Eph. 3:20), “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding…”
b. (II Tim. 1:7), “?God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power and love and discipline.”

F. Yet … God blesses even the smallest step of faith (vs. 13-16)

1. Matt. 17:20, “…truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible….”
2. Lk. 16:10, “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a little thing is unrighteous also in much.”
3. Matt. 13:23, “And the one on whom the seed was sown in the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit, and brings forth some 100-fold, some 60…30

G. God remembers His promises (vs. 17-20)

1. (Heb. 10:23), “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering [“Jesus is Lord”], - for He who promised is faithful!!!”

NOW … WHAT ABOUT US?! – Are we (each and every single one of us) willing to have the heart of a leper?