HOW DID I GET HERE AND WHAT DO I DO NOW?
Day 6
"Then they said to each other, 'We're not doing right. This is a day of good news, and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let's go at once and report this to the royal palace.' So they went and called out to the city gatekeepers..." - 2 Kings 7:9-10
Imagine discovering the cure for a deadly disease and never telling anyone.
Imagine finding food during a famine and keeping it hidden.
Imagine knowing the bridge ahead is out but never warning the people driving toward it.
Most of us would agree that such actions would be unthinkable.
Why?
Because good news carries with it a responsibility.
When we possess information that can save lives, help people, or bring hope to those who are suffering, something inside us knows it should not remain hidden.
That is exactly what happened to the four lepers.
They had discovered something extraordinary.
The enemy had fled.
The siege was over.
The famine was about to end.
Provision had been made.
Hope had returned.
And for a brief moment, they kept it to themselves.
At first, that seemed reasonable.
After all, they had been suffering too.
They had needs.
They had endured hardship.
They had every reason to enjoy what they had found.
But eventually conviction settled into their hearts.
They realized something important:
"We're not doing right."
The issue was not that they had received a blessing.
The issue was that they were treating life-changing news as if it only belonged to them.
The moment they recognized that truth, everything changed.
What they had discovered was too important to keep.
The city was still starving.
Families were still suffering.
Children were still hungry.
People were still hopeless.
And these four lepers possessed the very news that could change everything.
So they got up and shared it.
This is where their story intersects directly with ours.
Because every believer has been entrusted with news far greater than an abandoned enemy camp.
We have been entrusted with the gospel.
The greatest news the world has ever heard.
News that sin can be forgiven.
News that broken people can be restored.
News that guilt can be removed.
News that death has been defeated.
News that Christ is alive.
News that anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord can be saved.
The gospel is not merely good advice.
It is good news.
Advice tells you what to do.
Good news tells you what has already been done.
Jesus has already paid the price.
Jesus has already conquered sin.
Jesus has already defeated death.
Jesus has already made a way.
Like the lepers, we are simply messengers of what God has already accomplished.
Sometimes Christians become intimidated when they think about sharing their faith.
We imagine that we need all the answers.
We think we must become theological experts.
We worry that someone might ask a question we cannot answer.
But notice something important about the lepers.
They didn't have all the answers.
They simply reported what they had seen.
"We went to the camp."
"No one was there."
"The tents are full."
"The provision is available."
That was their testimony.
And in much the same way, one of the most powerful things a believer can do is simply share what God has done.
We don't have to know everything.
We just have to tell our story.
We can say:
"I was lost, and Jesus found me."
"I was broken, and Jesus began healing me."
"I was hopeless, and Jesus gave me hope."
"I was searching for purpose, and Jesus changed my life."
Our testimony carries power because it points people toward the Savior.
One of the beautiful truths in this story is that God chose lepers to carry the good news.
Think about that.
Not kings.
Not generals.
Not priests.
Not prophets.
Lepers.
Outcasts.
People society had written off.
People who were overlooked.
People who were struggling with their own condition.
God used them to announce salvation for an entire city.
That should encourage every believer.
Many Christians disqualify themselves from ministry because they still see their weaknesses.
They think:
"I can't serve because I struggle."
"I can't lead because I'm not perfect."
"I can't share my faith because I still have flaws."
But the story of the lepers reminds us that God often uses imperfect people to accomplish extraordinary things.
In fact, some of the most effective ministry comes from people who understand what it means to need grace.
Who better to tell hungry people where food can be found than someone who was starving?
Who better to tell broken people where healing can be found than someone who has experienced restoration?
Who better to tell sinners about grace than someone who has received it?
The truth is that every believer is, in a sense, a spiritual leper who found mercy.
We were all separated from God by sin.
We were all spiritually bankrupt.
We were all unable to save ourselves.
Yet Jesus came looking for us.
He entered our brokenness.
He carried our sin.
He died in our place.
And through His resurrection, He provided everything we needed for life and salvation.
That is why the gospel is called good news.
It is not about what we have done.
It is about what Christ has done.
And if we truly understand that, it becomes impossible to keep it to ourselves.
The four lepers understood that silence was no longer an option.
The needs of the city demanded action.
The same is true today.
Look around.
People are starving spiritually.
Some are searching for identity.
Some are drowning in anxiety.
Some are trapped in addiction.
Some are carrying shame.
Some are overwhelmed by loneliness.
Some are desperately looking for meaning.
Many are trying to satisfy the deepest needs of their souls with things that can never truly satisfy.
Success.
Relationships.
Money.
Achievement.
Entertainment.
Recognition.
Yet none of those things can fill the void that only Christ can fill.
The world is hungry.
And we have good news.
The question is whether we will share it.
For some, sharing the good news means having a gospel conversation.
For others, it means inviting someone to church.
For others, it means serving faithfully so people encounter the love of Christ.
For others, it means encouraging someone who is struggling.
For others, it means sharing a testimony of God's faithfulness.
Not everyone is called to stand behind a pulpit.
But every believer is called to be a witness.
Jesus said:
"You will be my witnesses..." (Acts 1:8)
Notice He didn't say, "You might be."
He said, "You will be."
A witness simply tells what they have seen and experienced.
And every believer has something to share.
Perhaps one of the most powerful applications from this story is recognizing that God used these lepers before their circumstances were completely resolved.
They still had leprosy.
They still carried the marks of their condition.
Yet God used them anyway.
That means we don't have to wait until we have everything figured out.
We don't have to wait until we're perfect.
We don't have to wait until every struggle disappears.
We can be used by God right now.
Our story matters.
Our testimony matters.
Our obedience matters.
Our willingness to share matters.
Think about the ripple effect of their obedience.
Four lepers discovered provision.
They shared the news.
The gatekeepers announced it.
The palace heard it.
The city responded.
And an entire nation was impacted.
All because four unlikely men refused to keep the good news to themselves.
You never know what God may do through a single act of obedience.
One invitation may change a family.
One conversation may change a life.
One testimony may awaken faith.
One act of service may open a door for the gospel.
One moment of courage may have eternal consequences.
That is why today is not merely a day for reflection.
It is a day for action.
This week you have seen the journey of these four lepers.
They refused to stay where they were.
They acknowledged their condition.
They overcame the tension of fear.
They took a step of faith.
They experienced God's provision.
They allowed God's blessing to transform their hearts.
Now they share the good news.
And that is where the journey leads every believer.
Not merely to personal blessing.
Not merely to spiritual growth.
But to participation in God's mission.
So ask yourself today:
Who needs to hear my story?
Who needs encouragement?
Who needs an invitation?
Who needs to know that Jesus loves them?
Who has God placed in my life for a reason?
Then do something real.
Send the text.
Make the call.
Offer the invitation.
Share your testimony.
Serve someone.
Encourage someone.
Pray with someone.
Take action.
Because this is still a day of good news.
Jesus still saves.
Jesus still heals.
Jesus still restores.
Jesus still transforms.
Jesus still gives purpose to the lost and hope to the hopeless.
And from one former leper to another, that news is simply too good to keep to ourselves.
