Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died (2 Kings 13:14 NIV).
Poor Elisha. If he lived today, the skeptics and religious watchdogs would point to his illness as proof that his healing ministry had been a sham. Sure, he was said to have healed a Syrian commander, cured Jericho’s bitter waters, and even resurrected a Shunnamite’s son with the power of God. But if he suffered from a fatal illness, could those reports have been true? The watchdogs would have blasted him as a fraud.
That’s what watchdogs do; they look at life two-dimensionally, reduce spiritual complexities to either-or propositions, and take every opportunity to criticize. But life, even in the Spirit, is much more textured than that. Yes, Elisha healed with the supernatural power of God. And yes, he died of an illness. Both realities were at work in his life and in the world. And both are at still work today.
Does God give you supernatural victory or should you seek human help? Yes, both. Will you overcome with the authority of Jesus or suffer from attacks against it? Yes, both. This is life, and it’s all-inclusive. Those who claim the supernatural power of God are right. So are those who are constrained by human limitations. We don’t understand why, and we don’t have to. We will experience both victory and loss in the life of faith. Our job is to press on in every battle with every resource God gives us.
