Wednesday, May 21, 2008

On A Dime

On a dime

Al Poncel

Grace Church

1/23/08

God can turn your situation around on a dime.

2 Kings 6:24-25 KJV

(24) And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

(25) And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.


The donkeys head sold for about $51. The cab of doves dung was about the size of a 16 ounce cup of coffee and would cost about the same, $3.20.

The story goes on tell of two woman who eat their children to survive. Now our economy may be bad but we are not buying $50 donkey heads or eating our children. But Elisha talks abou it what will happen. In chapter 7:

2 Kings 7:1 KJV

(1) Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.


8 quarts of flour will be 69 cents. Today you buy and eat donkeys heads and doves dung. Tomorrow, Elisha says, God will turn the situation around on a dime.

2 Kings 7:2 KJV

(2) Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.


Unbelief stopped this guy from getting what God wanted for him. But look what happens to four leppers who decided to do something.

2 Kings 7:3-4 KJV

(3) And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?

(4) If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.


We can sit here and die, or we can go over their and die. So if they kill us what have we got to loose.


2 Kings 7:5-7 KJV

(5) And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.

(6) For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.

(7) Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.


We have no idea what God is doing for us right at this moment. God gives us life more abundantly. We put God in a box and try to get Him to do things our way. God tool care of an economic situation. What ellse can God change on a dime.

The leppers got up courage and went over to the camp of the enemy. The bible says that the riches of the evil are for us and these men realized those words.

John 11:1-4 KJV

(1) Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

(2) (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

(3) Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

(4) When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.


God did not make him sick. We live in a fallen world. Jesus said that God woild get the glory out of it. Too show it Jesus waited till Lazarus was good and dead.

John 11:19-26 KJV

(19) And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

(20) Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

(21) Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

(22) But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

(23) Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

(24) Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

(25) Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

(26) And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?


Resurrection is not a time. It is a person, Jesus. Do not call dead what God has called alive. We all look for our own dime. God wants to do it on His dime. Jesus healed Lazarus on His dime not Martha's dime. We try to do the same thing. So the economy and heath God can handle. Any thing else?

Acts 16:19-21 KJV

(19) And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,

(20) And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

(21) And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.


People get offended in what blesses them.

Acts 16:22-26 KJV

(22) And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

(23) And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

(24) Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

(25) And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

(26) And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.


On a dime God changed their situations around on a dime. God can do the same thing for you. Here they were being persecuted and they took the time to pray.

Do not tell God when you want Him to fix a problem because that would be your dime not His.

Four things you need to do while you are waiting for God's dime.

  1. Have the ability to see what no one else can see.
    1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV

(9) But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.


    You need the see the things that God is speaking into your life that He is going to do for you. Many people have trouble seeing that.


  1. Have the faith to believe what no one else will believe. If proof is possible faith is impossible.
    Hebrews 11:1 KJV

(1) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.


  1. Have the courage to do what no one else will do.
    The lepers went into the enemy camp. The epistle of James in the Message Bible, 'it is obvious that faith and work are yoked partners.'

  2. You have the hope to endure what no one else will endure.
    Proverbs 13:12 KJV

(12) Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
Romans 8:25 KJV

(25) But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.


Hope is the expectation of the future while we wait with enthusiasm for the vision to come to pass.


Unless otherwise noted, all scriptures are King James version. The notes are based on what I heard. They may or may not reflect what the speaker said.