THE SAME GOD

Summary

Podcast Summary: Don't Miss This Study – THE SAME GOD

Date: June 28, 2026
Hosts: Emily (Grace) Freeman & David (Dave) Butler

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Episode Overview

This episode is an engaging, heartfelt exploration of 2 Kings 2–7, focusing on the prophet Elisha and the miracles that define his ministry. Dave and Grace bring out the continuity of divine power (“The Same God”) across generations, emphasizing God’s willingness to work miracles—both grand and small—through ordinary people. Through personal stories and scriptural insights, they illuminate the nature of God as ever-present, generous, forgiving, and intimately aware of individual needs. The hosts weave practical faith lessons into their candid, conversational study, making ancient scripture feel related and relevant.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Elisha’s Calling: The Transfer of the Mantle

Timestamp: 05:28–13:30

• Context: Elisha, the prophetic successor to Elijah, takes up the prophetic “mantle” after Elijah is taken up to heaven (2 Kings 2).
• Elisha’s Request: Asked by Elijah what he desires before Elijah departs, Elisha replies, “A double portion of thy spirit” (2 Kings 2:9).
  • Grace: “If God ever asked me that, I would hope that I respond the same way and say, I need a double portion of your Spirit.” [10:50]
• Takeaway: God equips people with more than enough Spirit and gifts for the roles and burdens assigned. The “mantle” is less about ecclesiastical status and more about God wrapping us in His enabling power.
• Relatability: Both hosts reflect on personal moments when they’ve prayed for extraordinary help—showing how Elisha’s prayer remains meaningful today.
• Memorable Quote:
  • Dave: “This chapter gives permission and reveals the heart of a God who’s willing to clothe you and me in a double portion of all ... [the] gifts of the Spirit.” [12:30]

2. The Continuity of Miracles: Same God, New Chapter

Timestamp: 13:30–14:39

• Repeating Miracles: Elijah and Elisha perform similar miracles, suggesting that though prophets come and go, God remains unchanged.
• Lesson: “Who God is, is who He will always be.” The pattern of divine involvement and power continues for present-day disciples.

3. The Miracle at Jericho: Healing the Waters

Timestamp: 14:39–22:29

• Event: Elisha purifies Jericho’s bitter waters by casting in salt (2 Kings 2:19–22).
• Symbolism:
  • Salt represents Christ; pouring salt in was “pouring Jesus” into the problem.
  • Dave: “If life is ever unpleasant ... pour more Jesus into it. Pour Jesus into the problem.” [18:53]
• Permanence of God’s Work: “The waters were healed unto this day.” Miracles have enduring effect, especially the healing and forgiveness offered through Christ.
• Personal Story: The hosts describe visiting Jericho, seeing the actual spring, and how this scripture is still inscribed there—an ongoing testimony to permanence.
• Repentance Tie-in: The healing of the bitter waters becomes a metaphor for repentance—when God forgives, “you are still forgiven... you are cleansed to this day.” [21:12–21:52]
• Memorable Quote:
  • Grace: “You don’t need to relive that. You don’t need to repent over and over again. When you have been [made] clean, you are clean to this day.” [21:39]

4. Abundance Beyond Bare Necessity: The Oil for the Widow

Timestamp: 22:38–29:55

• Story: A widow, in dire straits, is told to borrow vessels “not a few.” God multiplies her single pot of oil to fill all the jars she collects, saving her family (2 Kings 4:1–7).
• Faith Lesson:
  • “We do not have a bare minimum God... Elisha here was not just expecting that it was gonna be a few things... He knew this miracle was going to give her more than she could have ever dreamt of.” [24:24]
• No Limits on God: Both the biblical story and Grace’s personal “lucky pennies” mission story illustrate that God’s abundance far exceeds what we dare to request.
• Memorable Quote:
  • Grace: “It is my nature to put limits on a God who doesn’t have any.” [28:38]

5. Miracles and Disappointments: The Shunammite Woman’s Son

Timestamp: 29:55–32:30

• Narrative: After miraculous provision, the widow’s son later dies—only to be raised again by Elisha (2 Kings 4:18–37).
• Real-Life Application: The rollercoaster between miracles and heartbreak reflects the ups and downs of faith.
• The Ultimate Promise: While not every story ends in a miracle on earth, “your story... does end in a miracle. There will be miracles on earth and there will be disappointments... but the story ends in a miracle.” [32:19]

6. Naaman the Leper: The Path to Wholeness

Timestamp: 32:30–42:54

• Introduction: Naaman is described first for his greatness and honor, then as a leper—his weakness isn’t his identity.
  • “His introduction was not that he was a leper. His introduction was that he was a great man and he was honorable and he was a mighty man in valor. And then it tells you of his condition.” [33:15]
• The Simple Solution: Elisha directs Naaman to wash seven times in the Jordan—a humbling, unspectacular remedy (2 Kings 5).
• Resistance & Encouragement: Naaman balks, but his servants persuade him—it’s often others who encourage faith in God’s simple ways.
• Lesson on Perseverance & Grace: God heals completely but may require more than one try—He is patient with the process.
• Memorable Quote:
  • Grace: “I love that we believe in a God that says, don’t worry, I know it’s gonna take you seven tries to be fully clean. And he’s not gonna be angry or upset. In fact, he’s planning on that.” [41:35]
• Remembering Miracles: Naaman requests to take home soil from Israel, a physical reminder of God’s redeeming moment in his life.

7. God Cares for the Small Things: The Floating Axe Head

Timestamp: 42:54–48:41

• Story: Elisha recovers a lost iron axe head for a young prophet—it floats to the surface of the Jordan when a stick is thrown in (2 Kings 6:1–7).
• Application: God attends to catastrophic crises and the little worries, like losing borrowed tools or (as told in Dave’s story) a child’s Lego sword.
• Memorable Quote:
  • Dave (reflecting on his son’s lost toy): “For some reason... there was inside my head this idea about God that he didn’t care enough for a little four year old’s Lego sword in the snow. And I got proven wrong that day.” [46:29]
• Faith Principle: Pray about everything—God’s care is “the wide expanse” that includes the trivial and momentous alike.

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “Ask what I shall do for thee... I pray, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.” – 2 Kings 2:9, discussed at [06:43]
• Dave: “When God performs a miracle in our life... we can look back and say, and it still is healed to this day.” [17:45]
• Grace: “You are still forgiven. That is a permanent change in you. Let it be changed. To this day, you are clean, you are healed, you are full, you are complete.” [21:39]
• Grace: “We do not have a bare minimum God... borrow, not a few.” [24:24]
• Dave: “The greatest story of my life, is when God rescued my soul.” [35:49]
• Grace: “I love that we believe in a God who will fully make us clean... He will not give up on us in our journey to being clean.” [42:28]
• Dave: “God cares about every part of it.” [48:30]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• 05:28 | Elisha’s Calling & the Double Portion of Spirit
• 13:30 | The Continuity of Miracles (“Same God” Theme)
• 14:39 | Jericho Waters: Healing & Repentance
• 22:38 | Widow’s Oil: Expecting God’s Abundance
• 29:55 | Life’s Miracles and Disappointments
• 32:30 | Naaman: Healing, Humility, and Being Made Whole
• 42:54 | The Floating Axe Head: God in the Small Stuff

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Tone & Style

Conversational, faith-based, and relatable—a blend of scriptural analysis, personal storytelling, and practical encouragement. Frequent laughter, emotional sincerity, and a “study club” feel keep the mood uplifting.

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Conclusion

This episode beautifully reinforces the message that “the same God” who worked wonders in ancient times is just as involved, generous, and compassionate today. Whether facing daunting callings, desperate lack, secret sorrows, or small anxieties, listeners are reminded to expect God’s presence, abundance, and miracles—in every chapter of life.

Transcript

[Dave Butler]

Hi, there. Welcome to Don't Miss this, a scripture study podcast with Dave Butler and Grace Freeman.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Each week we point out things in the scriptures that we love and think you don't want to miss.

[Dave Butler]

Thanks for listening. Hi, I'm Dave Butler.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

And I'm Grace Freeman.

[Dave Butler]

No, you're not.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Oh, true. I got pranked. I'm Grace Freeman Smith. I'm Grace. I don't know about. I don't know.

[Dave Butler]

Wow.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

That's a real big debate in my head, especially because I'm trying to convince Trenton to change his name to Freeman.

[Dave Butler]

No, Trenton Freeman.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Trenton's middle name is Green and I always call him Green and it's his mom's maiden name.

[Dave Butler]

Grace Green.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Grace Green. That's so cute.

[Dave Butler]

It's really cute.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

And Trenton Green's cute too.

[Dave Butler]

Let's vote.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

So everyone. Everyone in the comments. Flood the comments. So Trenton has to.

[Dave Butler]

So Grace just got back from her wedding and honeymoon. Remember, we're recording these late. Yeah. When is this? July.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Yeah.

[Dave Butler]

Oh, or a month?

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Two months ago?

[Dave Butler]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's fine.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

It's fine.

[Dave Butler]

Cuz she's moving to New York. So you're. You're winning for exciting life.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

I know. My ear. Crazy.

[Dave Butler]

Yeah. Good job.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Perfect. You're. Your Jane's about to leave on her mission in this episode.

[Dave Butler]

I can't. Why would you say I brought up all happiness?

[Grace Freeman Smith]

I know. I can't even. I can't even think about that. I'm visiting Jane once a month in her mission.

[Dave Butler]

I. I approve. I'll pay.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

I'll pay for it. I'll have to do that. I have to do it. It's the only way to survive without.

[Dave Butler]

Oh, you guys, welcome. We're so happy you're here.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

This.

[Dave Butler]

We're having happiness. There's a lot of happiness. It was your first time. We go through the scriptures. This is a scripture study club. Sounded fun. And we go through the scriptures and we point out things that we think you don't want to miss. We just love the scriptures and we love Jesus and. Yeah. So welcome to the fun. Welcome.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Welcome.

[Dave Butler]

Okay, today you don't think it's going to be Fun because it's 2nd Kings 2. 7 and it's like, who ever read that in their life? But this is the surprise of the Old Testament. There's just. It's just good stuff.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

It's really true. I feel like that every week, though. That's the thing about me, right?

[Dave Butler]

You're like, oh, what's coming up, Nehemiah? If people are like, no, there's probably nothing. Caleb just had to give a lesson in church. Did something on numbers, you know, and it's like the whole class is gonna think this is dumb, Caleb, but it's actually so good. So they don't get surprise of the Old Testament's like a pinata. Right.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

It's got way better.

[Dave Butler]

It's fun stuff in it. All right. If you have tippins, if you don't know what tippins are, they're just these scripture sized paper, I mean thinness, the thinness of scripture paper that just have turn your Bible into study Bible. Things you might want to remember, things that'll just kind of help you keep things organized, things that make you smart, things that'll help in lessons, things that'll help in talks. We have one for this week and it's the miracles of Elisha. So we're meeting him today. Not to be confused with our friend from last week, Elijah. We're not sure why the good Lord put them right next to each other in scripture. Elijah, Elisha, this is the Dr. Seuss

[Grace Freeman Smith]

part of the scriptures.

[Dave Butler]

The good news is if you don't know who the story was about, you just mumble the name and nobody actually is going to know.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Just rush through it. Yeah. Even if you spell it, if you just do a curses no one's having.

[Dave Butler]

They were Hebrew. So I think even in Hebrew the sound is probably like Elisha. It's like oh yeah, which, which one? And what you're going to find out is a lot of their miracles are super similar to each other. And I think that there is actually a cool lesson in that. But first put this little tip in into second kings 2, the miracles of Elisha and tho. That's what we're going to be focusing on. And if you have your journal, I think this is cool. First, before you turn the page to the this digging deeper page that we're going to jump into in the first part, what to watch for. We always pick a name and talk about what that is in Hebrew. And Elisha's name means my God is salvation. And I don't know, I probably like this more than I should like it. But it's just interesting that what Elijah's going to do is perform these miracles that we're going to look at today. A lot of miracle stories. But first and foremost from his name we learn, wait, God is God is the miracle giver in this situation. But I also think this is cool too that somebody might say, oh, after one of the miracles telling their friends Elijah did that for us. And he would answer back, and he says, no, God did. And I think just his name reminds us of that lesson of how often God performs these miracles in our lives through ordinary people and ordinary means. Because I think that's something that we'll see over and over with every single one of these miracles.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Absolutely. And I think the beautiful part of the Old Testament is that the hero is and always has been God. And what I love about the Old Testament is that I think that it also gives you a glimpse into how God turns those ordinary people into people and stories and moments that almost seem too good to be true. And I just think it's so sweet to live a life and think, like, I could just be Grace, or I could be Grace and live my life with God. And if God can do all of these extraordinary things with these people, why not? Someone like me is the cutest part of all of Scripture.

[Dave Butler]

Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome. Okay. Are you starting?

[Grace Freeman Smith]

No.

[Dave Butler]

You're telling the.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

I was going to, but you can.

[Dave Butler]

Oh, you want me to. Okay. So. Okay. This is what happens in chapter two, Second Kings, chapter two. There's just sort of this transfer. Elisha with the shape has been kind of a. What's the opposite of a mentor? A mentee.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Yeah, that is it. That's right.

[Dave Butler]

Oh, okay. Just reminded me of that animal man. Yeah,

[Grace Freeman Smith]

a mentee. And it's Elisha and Elijah.

[Dave Butler]

Elijah says manatee, and he's just been following Elijah around. And now it's sort of like this Moses, Joshua moment. You remember back in Deuteronomy when Moses is leaving and he's sort of handing the reins over to Joshua and, and, and he. And he just gives him this encouragement. Be strong and have a good courage. It's. It's kind of your turn now. And that's sort of what happens here in chapter two. So Elisha's been following Elijah around, and Elijah says to him, they go up to the Jordan river together, and Elijah takes his mantle. This is in verse eight. And, and that's like a coat or a cape or something. And I've never thought it was a cape from now on, for sure, that's a cape.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

It's got way more exciting.

[Dave Butler]

It's more his cape. And he. He slaps the Jordan river with that, and it opens up like the Red Sea miracle. And they walk through. And then, P.S. that's where, if you've ever heard the phrase, like, I, I, I have the mantle upon me. Oh, that's coming up. I'm giving that away. Too early. So pause on that for a second. So they walk through on dry ground. And then in verse nine, there is this, this prayer that I've borrowed from Elisha so many times because Elijah asks him, what shall I do for you? And Elisha answers back and says, I pray, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me and grace. I don't know, we both said this before we started doing the podcast, so pipe in here too. But I, I've just. This is. I have nothing more to say about this than this is a prayer I've borrowed to. Just in certain situations that feel too big for me. I have prayed in my car, in my closet, walking up to a door. Please bless me with a double portion of the spirit on this particular occasion. I need double. And I love that prayer and I love believing in a God who answers that kind of prayer.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

And it's so sweet to me. The question that he asks before that, ask what I shall do for thee before I be taken away from you. And what I love is, that's the most open ended question ever. Ask me for anything. What do you want? Anything on earth. What do you wanna ask? And he says, a double portion of your spirit. And obvious he's talking to him. But I think it's the prayer that we pray to God all the time. I just need a double portion of your spirit. And last night, actually, me and Trenton, we teach like a mission prep class, just like this random little group of teenagers. And we were talking about the beginning of Preach My Gospel is so full of like teaching with the spirit, using the spirit, being led by the spirit. And so we were talking about the spirit last night and probably just because we barely got married, we're obsessed with each other. That's perfect for us. And we were talking about kind of all of the things that led up to me and Trenton, like, meeting each other and getting married. And we talked about how there had to be someone. Like my parents had to be led to let a random boy move into our house, and then they had to be led to help him go on a mission, and he had to be led to go on a mission. And he got his mission call and then he came home and he was led to play football and the coaches were led to help him and different people were involved in his story. And then all of a sudden, the boy that randomly moved into our house got sent to like he declared for the NFL draft. And then he did not randomly, I do not believe, get sent to the Denver Broncos. And then they were going to find a house in the middle of Denver. And my grandpa felt really prompted they needed to go to this ward. And they just happened to go and visit this ward that they didn't even know if there were any houses available. But they went to this church, and the bishop just happened to be my future husband's dad. And then they decided to move into that ward, and they moved across the street. And my future husband would take the sacrament over to my brother on the. The Saturday before he played in a game on Sunday. And then he just happened to, years later, feel like he should set up that boy with me. And then we just happened to get married. And we were like, kind of like going through that entire story. And just so confidently, Trenton looked, and he said, me and Grace could have never found each other if we were not surrounded by people who were living lives full of the Spirit. It would have been impossible. We never would have ever known each other existed except where there were people who were willing to live their lives guided by the Spirit. And then he stopped and he said, you know what? If there was one thing I would hope for the rest of my life, it's that I would live a life with the Spirit. And the reason that I so fully believe that and Trenton so confidently said that last night is because the best things that me and Trenton have experienced in life is because the Spirit was leading people's lives. And what I think is so interesting about 2 kings starting like this is we are about to read a lot of really miraculous things, and we are going to read stories and miracles that happen not just for him, but for the people he's surrounded by. And I think that all of those moments can be led back to this one, when he got a double portion of the Spirit. And I would dare say that if anyone asked me that question, what can I do for you? My hope? If God ever asked me that, I would hope that I respond the same way and say, I need a double portion of your Spirit. And the reason why is because I know that all of the very best things that have ever happened in my life, all the miracles, all the blessings, all the happiest days of my life, all the happiest moments of my life have come because there have been people and I have been living led by the Spirit. And I just think, what a powerful way to start his story.

[Dave Butler]

Yeah. And I think that we talk about the mantle, right? So what happens in the story is, is that Elijah with a J is taken up in this chariot of fire, and his cape comes floating down you know, to the ground right in front of Elisha with an sh. And he picks it up and puts it on. And that's a phrase that we use sometimes. That's in verse 13. He took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and he goes back to the Jordan river and he's going to slap the river just like Elijah with a J did, and it's going to open just the same way. And I think we talk about that mantle, it almost becomes like a calling word, at least in our church. And I think I want to start thinking it more about just that double portion of spirit that comes that God clothes us. And there's so much imagery in the Old Testament of being clothed. And I just want to think about him taking that and being wrapped up in a double portion of God's spirit. And every gift that comes through the Spirit. We would say two, because if someone prays for a double portion of the Spirit, they're also praying for, please give me a double portion of charity. And for this week I need a double portion of hope, or I need a double portion of courage, or whatever it may be that someone needs. This chapter gives permission and reveals the heart of a God who's willing to clothe you and clothe me in a double portion of all of those things. Right? Every gift of the Spirit. So another thing I think when I read this is all of these. So let's start just with this one and say it for, for the rest of them, that Elisha with an SH performs so many miracles that are going to sound super familiar. There's going to be a multiplying of oil. There's going to be a boy brought back from the dead.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

You're going to think you already read this.

[Dave Butler]

Yeah, right. It's going to be a little deja vu as you, as you go through it. And I actually really love that because this, this back to back set of miracles with a name that's so similar to each other just reminds us. Elij, left, right, his story has ended, but God and the miracles keep going. And it, it just makes me think about that line that we read in Exodus when we learned about what the name of Jehovah means, that who I am is who I will always be. And the fact that these miracles keep going with new widows and new kids and new villagers in need, that new sick people that just like who God is, is who he will continue to be. This story is gone, Elijah's gone, and a new chapter has begun. But God still continues to show up and I think that's one of the reasons that we read scripture, we discover and learn like we're doing on this page. What do these tell me about the heart and character of God?

[Grace Freeman Smith]

And.

[Dave Butler]

And then now watch for that same God to show up in my chapter. Right? I'm in chapter two now. Elijah was chapter one, and I live in chapter two. And I can expect that those miracles are just. Are just going to continue. So I love that aspect of seeing these. And it reminds me of this lady that I met in Uganda two summers ago. And I was just talking to her after church, and she. Her sister had passed away and left her with this little boy who was three or four years old. And just. Just from our conversations, she had let me know she had nothing. Literally had nothing. But she was like, but who was going to take him? I obviously had to take him. And then she said to me this. She was like, do you know that story of God raining down manna every day from heaven to keep his people alive? I said, yeah. And she was like, I know that story is true because I live it. And that struck me in the moment. And I just thought of it as I was reading this just to, you know, Elisha, now it's going to say, you know, that story of this miracle, you know, from what, all these years ago. He's like, I know that's true because I'm living it now. And. And I think that's part of our privilege too, as children of God. So let's. Okay, let's jump into some of these other miracles. Oh, I'm doing the first one. Okay. The Jericho waters. All right, so. So right after all that happens, then all the fun things start to go. And he goes into Jericho, the city that was famous for the walls. And he says, the city was pleasant. This is verse 19. But the water is not, and the ground is barren. And there's something wrong with the water in there. And in verse 20, he says, well, bring me a little a dish and put a lot of salt in it. And they brought it to him. And he goes to the. To the spring of the waters, the source of all the waters. And he puts the salt in there and then says this. Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters. There shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. And oh, and then my favorite verse is 22, where he says, so the waters were healed unto this day. And. And I. One of the things I love about this miracle is that when God performs a miracle in our life 100 years from now, 1000 years from now, we can look back and say, and. And it still is healed to this day. Like, I don't know when those miracles are going to happen, and I don't know how they're going to happen. But when God performs a miracle in our hearts, in our relationships and our families with, he says, I, I am, I'm performing them so that they, so they stick and that you can look back and say, and still to this day, I am experiencing the benefits and the goodness and blessing from that miracle that happened, you know, so, so long ago, which I. I like that. I like a. A God of domino miracles, right? They just. To this day, to this day, I'm experiencing it. It's still. And can I say one other thing about that? Salt becomes a symbol of the sacrifice of Jesus. In the Old Testament, they put it on every sacrifice. So anytime you see salt, you're. You're seeing like a. That is a symbol of, of Jesus. And he even uses that symbolism in the Sermon on the Mount, you remember? But he said, but I just love that it's salt that he pours into that water that he pours, essentially pours in Jesus into the problem. And this miracle reminds me again and again, if life is ever unpleasant, if something is ever barren or dead or hurting or in need, pour more Jesus into it. Pour Jesus into the problem. And the saltiness overcomes the problem. Like, there's so much goodness in Jesus that it will wash out eventually whatever bitterness or barrenness there was in that problem. And so I just, I just, like, I love that phrase, that phrase. And I want, I like to hold onto that phrase and be reminded of it when I encounter a situation. They're just like, what do I do with this? And first I want to say, okay, let's pour in more Jesus.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Oh, so good. And I think that just reminds me because in the journal, it's going to go through all of these miracles of Elisha. And what I would say is that we talk about this all the time on here, but, like, I think that's such a clear reminder, is that if you read that story and you're only focused about Elisha, you miss that beautiful analogy. You miss understanding that, like, the salt and Jesus will wash away all of the hurt and all the dirt and all the messy parts of our life. You miss that because you're so worried about him. And I think as we go through the rest of this lesson, let him be your focus. Let Jesus be the focus. Let God's miracles be your focus. Because we are going to see them and read them because of Elisha. But what it teaches us is about the heart of God. That's what we're learning this whole entire time.

[Dave Butler]

Right. And, Grace, can I say one more thing about that story? I just remembered this. So in Jericho. Have you been to Jericho?

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Yes.

[Dave Butler]

Okay.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

I couldn't remember.

[Dave Butler]

You know how trips sometimes.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Yeah. No, they all. Yeah. Yes, of course, of course, of course. Okay.

[Dave Butler]

So in Jericho, there is a spring of water. And this scripture is on, like, in the. Right above.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

I know exactly what you're talking about. I did not know.

[Dave Butler]

This is where we all sit.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

And the camel's there.

[Dave Butler]

Yes, yes, exactly. So we all sit right there and put our feet in the water. And you really teach this story there. But that scripture is right there at that spring. And I'm just thinking about how much I really love that now that it's that reminder again that this spring is still healed. The water is still pure to this day. I don't know when two kings happened.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

And it still can be for you.

[Dave Butler]

Exactly.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

That every time you're there, it will still be clean.

[Dave Butler]

Right?

[Grace Freeman Smith]

And you know what? That's what you want to tell everyone when you teach repentance. This is the story you should teach.

[Dave Butler]

Yes, because how often?

[Grace Freeman Smith]

No, but why? Why do we just start loving it and it's five minutes after we even were talking about it? I don't know. But do you know what I want to say to every single person that has been forgiven, to every single person that has said the prayer of repentance, that has gone and talked to the bishop, that has received the cleansing blood of Jesus, who has been made clean and been forgiven, you are still forgiven. That is a permanent change in you. Let it be changed. To this day. You are clean, you are healed. You are full. You are complete. You don't need to relive that. You don't need to repent over and over again. When you have been clean, cleaned, you are cleaned to this day.

[Dave Butler]

Okay, now I cannot wait to go.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

That was my part of the story. Crap.

[Dave Butler]

Who knew that? We almost skipped the surprise legit.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

When we started, I was like, what even is that miracle, David? Now it's our favorite one. Oh, no. We didn't even know. We didn't even know. That was so good.

[Dave Butler]

I knew where you were going right where you started. My eyes started to swell up. I was like, this is gonna be so good.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

I already know that is the cutest thing ever.

[Dave Butler]

And remember, it was what got put, poured in.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

That's what?

[Dave Butler]

Jesus. Jesus. When Jesus comes into that story, it's different from that day on until today.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Now, everyone, you didn't know that you were supposed to teach repentance during Second Kings. They don't tell you that because you didn't even realize. Okay, that's so good. Next miracle.

[Dave Butler]

Okay, you're doing this one.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Okay. Then the next miracle happens, and a certain woman goes up to Elisha. It's in chapter four.

[Dave Butler]

Four.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

And she says, listen, my husband is dead. And you know that he was a good man and he did his very best. And first of all, already you are endeared to this woman because, you know, like, when you read that, it still feels like the grief is present. It doesn't like, we don't know, but that doesn't feel like that happened 15 years ago. And she's, like, been moving on, and she's been, like, processing that. It feels so recent because it's so tender that to me that she goes and she says, you knew him and you knew he was good. And now here we are, and we owe all this money, and there's a creditor coming, and I don't know what I'm gonna do because I have nothing. I don't have one single thing. Save a pot of oil, I think she says, in her house. And that's in verse number two. And he looks and he says, okay, let me tell you what the plan's gonna be. He says, I need you to go and borrow vessels from all of your neighbors. First of all, already you get a glimpse of what this story is going to teach you when it says the word. All of your neighbors. It would have been easy. If you are making cookies, you just need to go to one neighbor. That's it. That's all. If you are making a batch of cookies, you need to go to one neighbor for a cup of sugar. You do not need to go visit every single neighbor. But he was not only hoping for one cup. He knew this miracle was going to be bigger even than what she only just needed. And he says this. Borrow, not a few. I have that underlined a million times in my scriptures with the boldest marker that I could find. Borrow, not a few. And what I love about Elisha is what he knew about God. We do not have a bare minimum God. We do not have a God that is going to look and be like, yeah, I'm going to let you scrape by. We have a God that says borrow. Not a few expectations, a big miracle. Elisha here was not just expecting that it was just going to be a few things, a few, like pots of oil that were filled up and she was going to be like surviving. He knew this was going to give her more than she could have ever dreamt of. And what I love about this widow is that she did not put limits on God. That she went to every single neighbor's house and she got a lot of vessels. And I wonder if after the first one she said, I want, I don't know how big he can go here, so like, I'm just gonna get one and hope for the best and that's gonna be enough. Or after the third neighbor, she said, this is all we need. She went to every single neighbor's house, she borrowed not a few. And it came to pass. This is my favorite part in verse number six is that when the vessels were full that she said to her son, bring me yet another vessel. And he said unto her, there is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. And what I love is that God gave her even more than she needed, that she looked and she said, I need more, I need another vessel. And he said, that's all of them. From every single neighbor, God gave us more than even you thought possible. You got as many vessels as you possibly could, as many as you thought was going to be possible. And God did even more than that. And I think I might have like shared this story on this before, I don't even remember, but when I was a missionary, the first phrase that I learned in Spanish was, God answers every prayer. And right when I learned it, I was like, well, I don't even know if that's true. So that's a dumb phrase to learn first because what am I gonna do, tell someone that? And then like, what if he doesn't actually answer every prayer? And because I was just like a 19 year old girl, I was like, well, I better see if that's actually real. And so I just started praying for things. Okay. And I don't know if you're really supposed to do this, but I was just, okay, that's all I could do. And so I just start praying for things. And I was like, well, if God answers every prayer, then he's gonna make that happen for me. And I just started doing this at the very beginning of my mission and I started praying for something in particular. I would just pray for heads up pennies. And it felt like that was gonna be good evidence because it was like a physical proof that he was answering my prayer. And there was one day that I like prayed and we were like going on a long walk and I was like, God, give me a heads up penny. Because I was just testing to make sure that he was gonna answer every prayer. And we went on our walk or whatever, we got to our lesson, we got back home, didn't think anything of it. And then it wasn't until the next morning when I woke up and we were driving to our first lesson of the day and I was like, I did not find a lucky penny yesterday. And I know now that that was a lie and they are teaching false doctrine in the mtc.

[Dave Butler]

I better learn almost in Spanish.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Exactly. And they didn't teach you that in the mtc. So I can't even have to go mute because they are teaching me lies in the MTC and got denied answer every single prayer. And I was having this big, long, like speech to God in the car in my mind about how like, that's a lie and you do not answer every prayer. And I'm not telling people that because they are going to get their hopes up. And we finally park at the lesson and I open my door and I looked down and of course there was a heads up penny. And legit. For the record, the first thing that went through my mind is, that doesn't count. That doesn't count. It was late. That. That is not what I was thinking. That is not it. And then I took a step up. I didn't even pick it up because I was like, that's. That it was too late. And that's a coincidence. And then I took another step and there was another one. And I was like, double doesn't make it better. God, just so you know, you already missed your chance. That does not make it better. And then I took two more steps and there was another one. And I was like, this isn't. This isn't real. And then I look and there was a trail. This is a true and honest story and I am not exaggerating. A trail of heads up pennies from the door of my car to the front porch of the lesson that we were about to teach. And on the front porch, and then I, like a crazy woman, like, go back and I'm like collecting the PA off the ground. And my companion is like, what is happening? I was like, you don't understand. God is answering my prayers. I was like, I need every single one. I picked up everyone and by the time we got to the porch, There was probably 15 pennies just in a pile on the porch. And I grabbed everyone in my journal one like it doesn't even close anymore. Cause I glued in all the pennies because I was like, God actually does answer every prayer. And not only that, but what I learned that day is God does not just have the ability to answer every prayer. He has the ability to give you way more than you ever thought was possible. And that day I learned that it is my nature to put limits on a God who doesn't have any. And he taught me that with silly lucky pennies. And this woman who was desperate to pay off her debts needed that oil and those vessels way more than I needed those lucky pennies. But what is true for both of those moments is that we believe in a God who will give you more than you think is possible. He will do more than you could ever imagine. And I just think there's something to be said because she goes after and she sells the oil and she pays the debt. And it says, and live thou and your children of the rest. And I just love a God that doesn't just get you out of your situation. He doesn't just solve the problem. He gives you enough to live an abundant life and to go on living better. And I just. Now, every single time I see a lucky pet penny, I always think to myself, I'm the luckiest girl in the world, that God answers my prayers. And I just think what a beautiful world we get to live in, that we get to believe every single day in a God that has no limits and a God that gives us more than we could ever ask for.

[Dave Butler]

Yeah. And I actually like that the story that comes right after that is. I like that it's right next to it, because you have this story of just overwhelming abundance. And then you have people reading this who are just like, well, I didn't. I didn't get the penny. And I didn't get, you know, the answer. I didn't get any of those things. And, and it's interesting because right after this story, in the same chapter. Yeah, in the same chapter, the, the, the boys that just had their lives saved then die. One of them dies, and, and she comes and, and you can imagine, like, wait a second, I. Why did that first miracle even happen if this was going to happen right after it? And you can just imagine the turmoil and questioning of heart and soul with, with something, you know, so tragic here. And, and, and, and read it and, and really feel the emotion of this as you, as you read it. But in the end, Elisha performs two separate blessings, actually. One, and the kid kind of starts to warm up and Then the second one, and then the kid, it says sneezes seven times and then opens his eyes, which I gotta read a little bit more into that. But maybe it's just. Maybe you just sneeze when you, I don't know, come back. I don't know.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Not a doctor.

[Dave Butler]

Yeah, I'm not a doctor, but what I have written down here in my journal is in. In this world of, of miracles, we live under the sovereign care of a God of miracles. That's true. But sometimes there are disappointments in that story also. There are miracles and there are disappointments. But I do love that at the end of this story it ends in a miracle. And the miracle is the boy coming alive again. And that is going to be true of every single one of our stories. And the promise of scripture is not that it happens in this lifetime, but the promise of scripture is your story that extends beyond the grave does end in a miracle. There. There will be miracles on earth and there will be disappointments on earth and they'll go back and forth, I assume. But the story ends on a miracle. And I. And that's. That is, I'm. I have full hope and belief in that.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

So, so good. The next miracle that we are going to do is going to be in chapter five, and it's the story of Naaman. And our introduction to him is so interesting to me. It's going to be in verse number. Now, Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and honorable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria. And what I love is this. He was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper. And I'm so intrigued by this first verse. I don't know what it is, and maybe I just need to think about it more. But I'm just going to tell you all my thoughts about it because it's so fascinating to me that his introduction was not that he was a leper. His introduction was that he was a great man and he was honorable and he was a mighty man in valor. And then it tells you of his condition, but he was a leper. His condition did not stop him from being who he was made to be. But you know, it was something that he could not overcome on his own, that it was something he dealt with daily. And it's so cute to me, and maybe this is like a silly little thing, but for some reason it's so sweet to me in this story that the scriptures are careful not to introduce him by his weakness. And they explain who he is. First, that he was a good and honorable man. And then it says, and yet he still struggled. And that didn't disqualify him from being a mighty man of valor, but it was something. Something he was trying to overcome.

[Dave Butler]

And. And I think every time I read this, like, I. I have just written. You were starting to talk, so I pulled up my phone notes to it, and I have written in my margins there that everybody has one of those lines that everybody that. That we see and assume they've got everything all put together. This guy knew the king. He had all the money, he had all the courage, he had all the things, but he was a leper. That in everybody's life, there is something. Something that they need God's help for. And. And I just, you know, I have one. You have one. We all have something like a leprosy line.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Yes. Right.

[Dave Butler]

We're just like, I. Everything else is working out, but there's this one thing that I can't do on my own. And. And we might consider that negative when in reality, when we have our kind of eternal perspective lenses on. See that. Wait. It was my problem. It was my leprosy, it was my weakness, it was my flaw that opened the door to my relationship with God.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Well, and I think it's so interesting because, you know, he's a really incredible person because by him, the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria. But the story he's known for is the one where, like, he was saved by God.

[Dave Butler]

Yeah.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

And I just think there's a lot of times in life that we think it's our accomplishments that we'll be known for. And we think the best story we have to offer is all the incredible things we have done, when in reality, the greatest story our lives could tell is the story of us being saved by God.

[Dave Butler]

And you want to interview him and say, hey, tell me the highlight moment of your life. Was it when you won the land for Syria? Was it when you beat the Amorites? Was it the. Was it the Battle of Waterloo or whatever? You know, what was the pinnacle moment of your life? And of all the businesses we've sold, bought and sold, of all the medals and ribbons we've won, of all the degrees that we got, every person in the end will say, the greatest moment of my life, the greatest story of my life, is when God rescued my soul.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

It's so good. And the way he's rescued is so sweet to me. And what happens is Elisha sends a messenger unto him.

[Dave Butler]

These Chapters are good.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

These are you. We didn't realize. And I'll say it. And I'll speak for myself and anyone else who wants to speak in the

[Dave Butler]

box because it needs to be a surprise.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Oh. But it's kind of scary.

[Dave Butler]

Yeah, okay, fine. Go back. Sorry.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Okay, so Elijah sends him a message.

[Dave Butler]

Just getting excited.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

And he says, hey, you are going to be made clean. All you have to do is go and wash in the Jordan seven times and your flesh shall come again to thee. You will be made clean. First of all, you read that and you think about the River Jordan and you're thinking about Jesus getting baptized and you're feeling like, yeah, no wonder they chose the Jordan. That's going to be a great place. That is going to be beautiful. And then you go to the River Jordan. And just so you know, that's the nastiest river I've ever seen in my entire life. And I'll stand by that. And Naaman himself knows it, okay? Everyone knows that. You can't avoid it, okay? We all know that. That's nest. First of all, no wonder the River Jordan in Utah is named after that one, because it's as nasty as that. Okay? If you don't know what the River Jordan looks like in Israel, you could go to Salt Lake, you could go to Utah, you could go to Lehi, Utah. And you look at that river is as nasty as that. You've been there. You've been there. And Naaman was wroth as he should have been. And he went away after he got that letter. First of all, I love that immediately, like, he gets told he's gonna be healed, and he's just absolutely furious. He's so upset. And he says, behold, I thought he'll surely come out to me and stand and call on his name of the Lord and strike his hand over the place and recover the leper. Then he says all this, he starts naming all these other rivers and he's like, I know this river and this river and this river, and aren't they all better than the Jordan? Like, I know he could have given me anything else. He could have given me the ocean in Hawaii, and he gave me the Jordan river in Utah. He says, you've got to be kidding me, that he thinks I'm going to go in there and be healed. That is not how this should work. And what I love about this story is that Naaman doesn't talk himself into it. He's not the one that has a change of heart. His servants came near and spake unto him and said, my father, if the prophet has bid you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much? Rather than when he said to thee, wash and be clean. And something in my soul just loves that. I think God had to have known that Naaman wasn't going to be convinced by a letter from Elisha, and he just needed some servants to remind him it was worth it. And I think there's just something so sweet in realizing that God's not just going to give you one chance. He's not just going to send the letter, he's going to send the servants, too. And how often will God tell us to do something and we say, you have got to be kidding me. I would never want to do that. That is the worst idea I've ever heard in my entire life. And I love that we have a plan B God that says, don't worry, I'm gonna give you an idea, and I'm gonna send back up to make sure you do it. And how sweet is their thing that looks and says, listen, if he asked you to do something great, you would have done it, so why not something simple? And that is a lesson in and of itself about how sometimes it is as simple as you think it might be. And so he just goes, well.

[Dave Butler]

And I think part of that might be kind of coming back to what you said about God stays the hero of this story if he gives Naaman some huge grand task to do. Go get me the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West. You know, then in the end, who's the hero of that story? And instead, when it stays simple, God still stays the hero of it. And it's a reminder. It's like, Naaman, you didn't earn this and you didn't deserve this. You didn't do the hard work for this. It was God who did it, and

[Grace Freeman Smith]

it doesn't even make sense. Yeah, he's doing something that doesn't make sense. You can't justify what happened with logic. Or it wasn't clean water. This shouldn't have worked. But God stepped into the story, and that is what always happens. So he goes down and he dips himself seven times in the Jordan. And my mom always talks about that question, I wonder which dip healed him and he needed all seven. And there's something to me that I've just been thinking so much about with that number seven, that means complete. And we don't know how that dipping worked. And if dip one, he got a little bit cleaner, and dip two, he Got a little bit cleaner. And dip five, he was cleaner. And dip seven, he was good. Or if it happened on dip seven and dip one through six, he was thinking in his mind, what's happening right now? And am I wasting my time? And is this worth my time? But what I've been thinking about since reading this story this time is that God wants to make sure you are completely healed. And he is not worried if that takes seven tries to, he's not gonna give up after three, and he's not gonna be frustrated after five. He is going to be in it with you until you are fully and completely healed. And he's not mad if it takes you more than one try. And I've just been thinking so much about how oftentimes it is for me when I'm trying to repent. And I think that the first try is gonna heal me and I'm never gonna do it again. And I'm good God, and I. I'm so sorry I did that, but I promise I'll never do it again. And I love that we believe in a God that says, don't worry, I know it's gonna take you seven tries to be fully clean. And he's not gonna be angry or upset. In fact, he's planning on that. He's planning that it's going to take a few tries to get you fully clean and fully healed. And that is his plan. And he get dips in the Jordan. And according to the saying of the man of the God, and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. And I'm so thankful that we believe in a God who will fully make us clean, who will be invested in us on the first try as well as the third, as well as the fifth, as well as the seventh, that he will not give up on us in our journey to being clean.

[Dave Butler]

I love that story. And then the part's so awesome that he says, I gotta go back home, but can I take two wheelbarrows full of dirt from this place? And I just love how the people of the Old Testament keep wanting to remember their most significant moments, right? That he'll have a shield and then. And a sword and whatever else in his trophy case. And then he'll have two big piles of dirt. And when the grandkids come over, you know, they want to look at all his trophies. And he'll. He'll say, okay, those are all pretty cool. But let me tell you this one story. It's. It's. It's my favorite one. Okay, let's do one more. In chapter six, the story of the floating ax, which at first glance is. Is so random and. And weird, but I. But it's next door to the healing of the mighty man of Syria who had the debilitating disease of leprosy. Right? So this was serious. Chapter five was, like, intense and. And big. And then six, you have this little group of friends who are building a little cottage by the sea. And it says in verse five, as one of them was felling a beam. Beam. Chopping a beam. The axe head fell into the water. I just always picture in my head that he swings back his ax and the head falls into the. Into the Jordan river. And he cries and he says, oh, no, for it was borrowed. That's the cutest part, really.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

That melts me.

[Dave Butler]

Or he's just like, oh, no, I actually borrowed this ax from somebody and dang it, it fell into the. Into the river, and what am I gonna do? And then the man of God comes and he says, where did it fall in? And he showed him somewhere right here. And then he cuts down his stick and he throws it in. And then it says, the iron did swim. And it, you know, floats up, you know, to the top. You. You may have heard me tell this story before, Grace, I know you know the story, but this. Every time I read this, it makes me think of Christian.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

When.

[Dave Butler]

Christian. Yeah. And when Christian was a little boy, he's my one who's a missionary in Bolivia right now. We went to church, and it was so snowy. And on the way into church, he goes, oh, no. Just like this guy in verse five, alas, you know, and he said, I lost my Lego sword. And I was like, what? And he had brought a Lego pirate with him to church. And in the snowstorm, legit, there's like two feet of snow in the parking lot, and it's blizzarding and all the cars and it's mushy, and he drops it in. And we're walking into the church, and regretfully, I thought in my mind, you should pray and then find the sword. And then I thought, in my mind, no, because we're not going to find it. And then Christian won't believe in prayer anymore.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Too risky.

[Dave Butler]

Yeah. So I ignored it. And we started walking into the church, and I open up the door for him. He looks up at me, he's like three or three or four years old, and he says, hey, dad, what if we just pray? And I actually said to him, I was like, son, there are Some things God can't even find. So let's go to church. Let's go to church. So we go to church, we come out, whatever. However many hours later, we're coming back through the parking lot again. It has snowed the whole time we were in that church. And we start walking across that street again. And I hear Christian yell out this cheer. And I look over at him and he's holding up the sword in his little fingers, the little Lego sword. And I was like, I stopped traffic because I said, christian, how in the world did you do that? And he said, well, I prayed, dad, and then I found it. And then his best line was, guess you were wrong. And I love that story. I love being proven wrong there. Because for some reason, there was inside my head this idea about God that he didn't care enough for a little four year old's Lego sword in the snow, and I got proven wrong that day. And he does care about these catastrophic times in our lives that we read in chapter four and five. And he also cares about the borrowed ax and the Lego sword that we dropped into the river. And I think that is, I think, one of the most encouraging things I believe about God. Because all of those stories put together, say, add them all up and the sum total says, the reality is that God cares about you, that he cares about your story, what you're missing, what your leprosy problem is, your bio d axe in the river, your devastating illness, your calling that's too big. All those stories just show this wide expanse of, you know, who God is and what he cares about and what we can expect in our own stories, whatever they bring, miracles and disappointments, catastrophic things and things that we think, oh, is this even something I should pray about? That God cares about every part of it?

[Grace Freeman Smith]

Oh, that's so good. Yeah, see, there you go.

[Dave Butler]

Who knew Second Kings?

[Grace Freeman Smith]

We loved it.

[Dave Butler]

Loved it. All right, y', all. We'll see you next week with Dave Butler and Grace Green. If you want to follow along in everything we're doing, you can find us on Instagram at don'tmissthis Study at this week's Grace and rdavebutler.

[Grace Freeman Smith]

And if you want to subscribe to the app or get our weekly newsletter, all of the information can be found@don'tmissthisstudy.com

[Dave Butler]

See you next week.