In life we are constantly challenged with situations and difficulties that seem impossible. As a Christian we must remember that our Almighty God is always with us and will fight for us!
2 KINGS 6:14-17
The King of Syria was trying to capture Elisha…
”Therefore the king sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. 15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
As Elisha prayed, the enemy became blind, and in the end there was a great victory.
What was the REAL PROBLEM in this story?
Was it the enemy – a huge army of men with horses and chariots? This great army completely encircled the city. They came by night, so as to not be detected. They were determined not to let Elisha escape.
When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning…probably to take care of his ordinary chores – had no idea until he went outside, that there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. He was totally unprepared for what he saw. This was a big problem.
The young man cried out to Elisha, “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” The servant was terrified.
…Or could the real problem have been that Elisha’s servant could not see that God was there in all His power…surrounding them?
Elisha was so calm. Elisha knew God’s protection. Seeing God’s REAL world, Elisha was not afraid. Even though the servant was NOT aware of the ‘spiritual army’, it didn’t matter….because one man, named Elisha, knew that God was there to help them.
With faith he believed God to be true to his word. He knew God was with them and HE would protect them.
So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.”
Elisha did not pray that God would change anything in the situation. His only request was that his servant could actually see the reality of the situation. The servant could not have had this explained to him – nor could he be persuaded into believing it. God needed to open his eyes to see things as they really were.
“Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
There really WERE more with them – than with the enemy. And God fought for them that day.
Our battle is also very real
The army of spiritual powers that opposes us today are just as dangerous as the physical army that surrounded Elisha. We can quickly feel overwhelmed and afraid. We must remember that just as the chariots and horses of fire appeared for the prophet Elisha, God is ALSO with us – by his Spirit. We may not see Him with our physical eyes, but He has promised to never leave us.
Here is a great promise in Hebrews 13:5,6:
5. …for[God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]
6. So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?
He it tells us that the Lord will not leave us and is our helper, so we will have NO fear! Just as the power of God was displayed in Elisha’s story, the Almighty God is the one who will fight the forces of darkness for us – as we cry out to him.
We all have our battles to fight. We definitely have spiritual enemies. We should take our spiritual warfare very seriously. Are Satan and his kingdom asleep? Do we think that the enemy won’t try to cause us problems? One thing we know for sure – he is not sleeping.
This is why it is so important to know what the Word of God says and use the Sword of the the Spirit, so we can be victorious:
Deuteronomy 20:1 – “When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is WITH you!”
How can we help others who are facing difficult battles?
The greatest kindness we can do for people who are fearful and discouraged is to pray for them to be able to see God at work in their lives. Ask God to open their eyes to see that HE is with them, and to claim God’s promises for their situation.
God’s Presence ALWAYS surrounds each of us like a wall or a shelter.
“If our eyes were opened, we would see the angels as an encircling fence of fire; but whether we see them or not, they are certainly there.”
When we really ‘see’, like Elisha’s servant did, then we won’t need to fear. Of course if we don’t believe that God is with us, we will be frightened. The more we focus on God’s supreme power and authority, the less we will fear any calamities that we could ever experience.
Psalm 141:8 “But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death.”
Elisha’s servant felt like it was just the two of them against a huge, impossible situation. Sometimes we feel alone. The enemy wants us to feel that we are up against insurmountable odds. He wants us to see our situation as impossible.
In reality, though we are weak, God is so strong. The enemy’s power is nothing compared to the power we can experience through the Holy Spirit.
Don’t fear – Remember the awesome POWER of the Living God
PSALM 27
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? 2 When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. 3 Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.
PSALM 3:6
“I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.”
ROMANS 8:31
“If God is for us, who can be against?”
We need the Lord to open our eyes as He did for Elisha’s servant and realize that God is for us!
Jeremiah 10:10
“The Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, and the nations will not be able to endure His indignation”
ISAIAH 41:10
“Fear not, for I am WITH you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
“EL-ROI”
One of the names of God is “El Roi” which means, “The God Who Sees” – He is the one who sees us when we feel lonely, all on our own, or when we just need the reminder that God is close. He is one who chases after us, who follows us with goodness. The name “El Roi” says to us that God is watching over all of us all the time.
PENTECOST
On this Pentecost Sunday we want to experience God’s presence in a greater way. We want to be filled more and more with The Holy Spirit and power.
Acts 1:8 – Jesus said, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
There’s an illustration from years ago of the great evangelist Charles Finney who wrote about how he experienced mighty infillings of the Holy Spirit:
“The Holy Spirit … seemed to go through me, body and soul,” he later wrote. “I could feel the impression, like a wave of electricity, going through and through me. Indeed it seemed to come in waves of liquid love, for I could not express it in any other way.” This powerful infilling of the Holy Spirit began the new career of the man who would become the leading revivalist in the nineteenth century.
It is estimated that during the year1857-58 over a hundred thousand persons were led to Christ as the direct or indirect result of Finney’s labors, while five hundred thousand persons professed conversion to Christ in the great revival which began in his meetings. The autobiography of his life is perhaps the most remarkable account of the manifestations of the Holy Spirit’s power since apostolic days. It is crowded with accounts of spiritual outpourings which remind us of the day of Pentecost.
God wants us to see that He is the Almighty God. He wants us to be filled with His Spirit. He wants the whole earth to see how great He is and experience Him in their lives!
COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
ACTS 2:1-4
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
ACTS 2:16-21
… 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions,
your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
21 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
let’s have faith like elisha
Elisha’s servant trusted in what he could see and understand. He recognized that they faced an obstacle too great for them to overcome. He didn’t realize that there was a living God on his side. Elisha, on the other hand, was fully convinced that the situation was in good hands! God was with Him.
Where do we put our faith? When we encounter problems in life, do we react like Elisha, or do we react like his servant?
Are my eyes opened to see that God is with me and that His awesome power is working in my life?
Though I may not see him with my natural eyes, will I remember that God is with me? He wants to continually fill me with his Holy Spirit, and be convinced that all the powers of heaven are on my side!
