Do You Need A Game Changer?

2 Kings 7:1

“Then Elisha‭ said‭‭, Hear‭‭ ye the word‭ of the LORD‭; Thus saith‭‭ the LORD‭, To morrow‭ about this time‭ ‭shall‭ a measure‭ of fine flour‭ ‭be sold‭ for a shekel‭, and two measures‭ of barley‭ for a shekel‭, in the gate‭ of Samaria‭.”

You may be asking yourself, “What is a game changer?”  In the middle of an athletic competition or sports game, momentum sometimes moves in favor of one team’s benefit to the other team’s detriment. Many times these types of games end up being what is called a shutout. One team scores all the points and keeps the other team from scoring any. Whether you are cheering for the team winning or the team losing, after a while a shutout game tends to cause the fans to become bored or lose interest in it, and in some cases people start leaving the game early because they believe there is no way possible for the losing team to win. If the team that is losing could put together a series of plays to score, they could change the momentum and ultimately win the game. That all starts with one throw, one pass, one play, one move that becomes known as, the Game changer. As in sports, many times we find ourselves in life, feeling like we are about to lose and possibly give up, if something doesn’t happen to change things, and happen quickly. We need a game changer. When Elisha showed up with the message from the Lord he brought the game changer. 

Samaria was under siege by King Benhadad and all of the Syrian army. There was no food in the city for people or animals to eat. The King of Israel was beside himself and had decided that Elisha the prophet was going to die. The King had given up on waiting on God and had determined to take this into his own hands. 

The Game Changer is Simple

Elisha called “an audible”.  In an American football game, when the quarterback gets to the line of scrimmage and sees the defense set up against him, he may decide to change the play or plan of action he just directed the team to do. When he calls it out right before the ball is hiked by the center, it’s called “an audible”. Elisha’s audible was the word of the Lord, telling the people that there would be an overabundance of food in Samaria the next day or less than 24 hours.

Many times when we look at what we are up against in life or what circumstances we are going through, we are very discouraged and simply need a word from the Lord. The word from the Lord gives hope. Elisha told the King of Israel, the elders, and the people within listening distance that God would provide more than enough food for them within the city within the next 24 hours. This was the simple Word from the Lord, simply stated by Elisha.

The Game Changer is Significant 

The people in the city of Samaria had no food.  They needed food to survive.  The army surrounding the city had more than enough food to feed the city for weeks to come.  What made the difference was 4 lepers.  The lepers decided that they would die in the city or if they were killed by the Syrian army, either way they were dead.  They decided to take their chances with the Syrian army.  After they went to where the tents were and found no people, they began to set aside stashes for themselves.  Then they realized that the people in the city needed food too.  Think about that, the lepers were not allowed to be with the other Israelites yet they decided to be messengers to help the Israelites.  When they went back and told the watchmen on the wall, the watchmen got word to the king.  The king sent soldiers out and sure enough, the tents were empty of the army but filled with food and supplies.  The army had even left their horses.  There was more than enough food for the Israelites that were besieged in Samaria to live.  God used the prophet Elisha and the four lepers to bring the gamechanger to the Israelites besieged in Samaria.  When it looked like they had all but lost, they did not.  This game changer was significant.

The Game Changer is Supernatural 

The Word of the Lord superseded the Hand of the Lord, but all aspects of the story point back to His supernatural hand.  2 Kings 7:6-7 tells us, “For the Lord‭ had made the host‭ of the Syrians‭ to hear‭‭ a noise‭ of chariots‭, and a noise‭ of horses‭, ‭even‭ the noise‭ of a great‭ host‭: and they said‭‭ one‭ to another‭, Lo, the king‭ of Israel‭ hath hired‭‭ against us the kings‭ of the Hittites‭, and the kings‭ of the Egyptians‭, to come‭‭ upon us.‭ ‭Wherefore they arose‭‭ and fled‭‭ in the twilight‭, and left‭‭ their tents‭, and their horses‭, and their asses‭, even the camp‭ as it ‭was‭, and fled‭‭ for their life‭.”  This is where the Hand of God works on behalf of his people and the miraculous game changer takes place.  How does God get a large army to just up and leave in the middle of the night?  He does so by threatening them with the belief that an even larger army is about to attack them.  It was just a noise.  It was just a simple noise.  Ah, yes, but it was a significant noise!  Most importantly, it was a supernatural noise!  

Do you need a game changer?  Are you willing to wait on God for Him to interject His Hand into your life and do something supernatural?  God is in the business of performing game changers on behalf of his children.  He did so for Daniel in the lion’s den.  He did so for the three Hebrews cast into the fiery furnace.  Most importantly, through His supernatural, resurrection power, He performed a game changer and Jesus, His Son, rose again the third day, and in doing so conquered sin, death, satan, and hell for all eternity.  He did that for you and for me.  Go back to the point of your salvation with me for just a moment in your mind.  Remember when God saved you from your sins.  Remember the fresh, clean feeling of trusting God to do something for you that you could not do for yourself?  That was a step of faith, your first step, in your daily walk with God, as your Heavenly Father.  He wants you to trust Him right now for the game changer, supernatural act that He will perform.  Silence your fretting, worrying mind and heart.  Get alone with Him and wait on the Word from the Lord that He has for you before He performs His game changer for you.  It is just between you and Him.  He may speak to your heart through studying His Word or through a conversation, a message you hear in church, on the radio, or through a podcast.  You just want to be listening and trust that He is in charge.  He will perform a game changer on your behalf!