“Why sit we here until we die?” 2 Kings 7:3
In his poem “Night Thoughts” the English poet and
dramatist Edward Young (1683-1765) said “procrastination is the thief of time”.
2 Kings 7 tells us of
four lepers who refused to procrastinate. This congregation of four lepers was on the verge of death by starvation
due to the siege of Samaria by the forces of King Ben Hadad and the severe
famine that had gripped the city. Seized with a sense of urgency they asked themselves
what is arguably one of the most profound questions asked by a human in the
Bible: "Why stay we here until
we die?” The
famine was so indescribably terrible that donkeys head became an expensive delicacy
(2 Kings 6:25) and mothers resorted to eating their children (2 Kings 6:29). This
statement suggests an intention to act.
There comes a point in everyone’s life when the need, invitation, or
opportunity for action is impatient of contemplation and deliberation.
The nature and time of the response can hasten the end or open the door to a
glorious and amazing adventure. The lepers acted and
were greeted with an amazing success. Similarly the disciples had an
amazing success when, after deliberation and consultation, they acted on Jesus’
instruction to cast their net on the right side (see Luke 5).
An occasional reassessment of
where we are, where we could be and where we should be is always essential for
a fulfilling and purposeful life. The
four lepers asked: “Why sit we here
until we die?” The “here” in this
instance refers to their physical location which was outside the city walls. “Here”
can also refer to ones spiritual condition, emotional state and or attitude.
Each person will have his or
her particular “here”. For some persons it is the state of their relationship with God; or an abusive relationship; or a job that
is stifling rather than liberating and fulfilling; or living in a rented house where
the landlord is disrespectful or unjust. God forbid but it could be a community
of faith where one is experiencing a famine for the word of God or person’s
spirituality is being stifled. It could be a situation where persons are being
given good spiritual food but they refuse to share the good news with others. These
are just some of the “here” where we can find ourselves and from where we need
to move or we will die.
When the Holy Spirit bids us move
we must be willing to act with faith in God. When we submit to wise and divine
counsel we will discover that God always goes ahead of us and acts in our best
interest. When God says something, God does it.
When God makes a promise, God immediately begins to work to bring it to pass.
Many persons have missed out on amazing blessings because they procrastinated
or simply refused to do what was required. 
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