Lesson 20 – God Provides Safe and Plentiful Food
Read 2 Kings 4:38-44 https://www.bible.com/bible/59/2KI.4.ESV
2 Kings 4:44 – And they ate and had some left, according to the word of the Lord.

Elisha traveled to an area of the country in the middle of a famine. He was teaching the group of prophets there, and asked his servant to cook a pot of stew to feed all of them.

One of the men who was helping Elisha’s servant went into the field to gather herbs for the stew. He found a wild vine with gourds growing on it, and filled his sack with the gourds. He cut them up and put them in the stew pot, even though no one knew what the wild gourds were.

When the men started eating the stew, they exclaimed, “Death in the pot, oh man of God! Death in the pot!” No one could eat the stew.

Elisha asked for some flour (a symbol for God’s healing power), and sprinkled it in the stew pot. They served the stew to the men, and everyone could eat it.

The devil, our enemy, delights in stirring up strife and poisoning relationships between Christians. Marriages, friendships, families, even entire churches can be broken by something that seems innocent at first such as rumors and gossip. 1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Another time a man brought Elisha twenty loaves of fresh-baked bread and some ears of grain. Elisha told his servant to serve it to the hungry group of prophets. Elisha’s servant replied, “There is not nearly enough for one hundred men!”

Elisha answered, “Go ahead and serve it; God says there is plenty.” So the servant passed around what he had, and all the men ate until they were full – and there were even leftovers!


Jesus performed a similar miracle in John 6:5-12 – Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip – Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat? He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him – Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him – There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many? Jesus said – Have the people sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples - Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.

*When has the enemy used someone to poison a relationship in your family or your church family? How did God bring healing to this situation?