The start of 2 Kings presents a real contrast between the faithful and the faithless. The measure of faith in a person cannot be predicted by one's status in the world, but it plays heavily in one's status in the next.
- King Ahaziah sought counsel from the god of Ekron, not the one true God... he died in agony.
- Elijah the prophet had faith in God and rained fire on his would be captors... he was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire.
- A poor widow had faith and lived abundantly because of that faith
- A wealthy woman had faith and shared of her abundance, she was blessed with a child, who died and was brought back to life because of her faith
- Naaman the Aramean general had faith and was healed of leprosy
- Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, lived in the shadow of a man of great faith, but had not faith and lived out his life with leprosy as a result.
These six people couldn't have been more different from a worldly perspective, but God does not judge from a worldly perspective. He judges the heart within, so a foreign general who battled the Israelites is blessed, while an Israeli king is cursed. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding...
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