Image: Winter sunset, February 2020, North Garden, Virginia
Note: Devotion taken from last Sunday's sermon on 1 Kings 6.
And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more
than they that be with them (2 Kings 6:16).
2 Kings 6 describes how the king of Syria sent his forces by
night to encircle and capture the prophet Elisha at Dothan. The next morning the
prophet’s servant saw the Syrian forces and told Elisha, “Alas, my master! How
shall we do?” (v. 15b).
Elisha’s response in v. 16 is the key to whole chapter. It is
the spiritual center of this narrative.
First, Elisha says, “Fear not.” Elisha’s “fear not” is a call
to trust and confidence in God even in the worst of circumstances.
The Southern General Thomas Jackson was famous for his
indifference to the bombs and bullets that flew and fell around him, because he
was a staunch Calvinist and believed in the providence of God. So, he got the
name “Stonewall” for his ability to stand unmoved in the face of the direst
circumstances.
Then Elisha said, “for they that be with us are more than
they that be with them” (v. 16).
He knew that the Lord and his great hosts were there to
protect him. It anticipates the word of the apostle John: “greater is he that
is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
The saint of God is never outnumbered!
Notice next it says, “And Elisha prayed…” (v. 17). The
greatest men of God are men of prayer. The veil was lifted so that the servant
saw that the mountains around Elisha were thick with horses and chariots of
fire. (v. 17). There was a hedge of protection!
The Lord had extended his own hand to protect his servant.
The saint of God is never outnumbered.
Paul said that the Old Testament was written “for our
learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the scriptures might have
hope” (Rom 15:4).
What can we learn? When we are encircled with foes, we can
trust God; we can remember that we are never alone; and we can pray
Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle
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