2 Kings 6: It's my fault!

Verses 30-31:

When the king heard the woman's words, he tore his robes. He went along the wall, and the people looked at him and saw that, under his robes, he had sackcloth on his body. He said, "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today!"

◇ The Aramean king Ben-Hadad had besieged the city of Samaria in northern Israel. The people, running out of food, were driven to such desperation that some even agreed to eat their own children. The horrors of the siege in Samaria were indescribable. In the face of his people's suffering, King Jehoram was deeply distressed. He was wearing sackcloth, a traditional expression of profound grief. As king, Jehoram was mourning the pain of his people.

However, that was as far as it went. His distress and sorrow did not lead to repentance. Instead, Jehoram blamed Elisha for the calamity. He failed to recognize that his own idolatry was the cause. His father Ahab had blamed Elijah for the drought and sought to kill him, but it was not Elijah who caused the drought; it was Ahab's own doing. Ahab persecuted and killed the prophets of the Lord, yet he placed the blame on Elijah. Now his son Jehoram was attributing the tragedy of Samaria to Elisha.

What if Jehoram had truly seen the extent of the people's suffering, understood its cause, and repented?

♧ Lord God, help us to say "It's my fault" instead of "It's your fault," and to have hearts of repentance! Have mercy on us, O Lord. Holy Spirit, lead us in the way of truth!