Those Who Are With Us

DON'T BE AFRAID. THOSE WHO ARE WITH US ARE MORE THAN THOSE WHO ARE WITH THEM. 2 Kings 6.16.

If you are one of those Christians who has not read through the Bible, or if you find no time to read it regularly, I challenge you to take a few minutes to read today’s story from the Bible. I can assure you that you will not put the Book down until you have finished reading all the miraculous stories of the prophet Elisha's time and that of Elijah before Him!

To read these marvellous true stories from the lives of people just like us would dare us to live like them and experience God in everyday situation – ‘good and bad’ (according to our human reckoning!). The man of God, Elisha, was surrounded by the horses and chariots of the King of Aram that came to capture him.

When the servant of the man of God saw the army with horses and chariots that surrounded the city, he reacted in the usual human manner. He cried out, "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" The man of God, Elisha, who could see the invisible and supernatural, reacted differently and said, “Don't be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them”. He had seen what his servant didn’t and couldn’t see - ‘hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around him’. God answered Elisha’s prayer and opened the young man’s eyes. He too saw what the man of God saw and his reaction changed!

I am encouraged that the man of God prayed to the Lord to open the eyes of the young man that he too could see beyond the natural and react supernaturally. Lately, our family had occasion to discuss a great tragic monitory loss we experienced several years ago. One member said that that particular incident happened to be the crucial event that affected the future of the family adversely since then. He had all the good reasons to conclude so. It was so from every human angle.

But I had many an occasion to analyse the incident and look at the pros and cons from not only the human angle but also with much spiritual insight and perception. The more I contemplated on the incident and all its implications and outcome, the more I perceived that God had supernaturally used it to bring multiplied blessings in every way to me and to our family. The fact that there were financial losses and a lot of inconveniences to the family is undeniable. But my wife and I can perceive and see, beyond the seen and physical, the unseen hand of the Almighty that blessed us because of that incident in ways beyond all our expectations and imagination. The spiritual impact it had on my life, the nation-wide and world-wide publicity it generated, and the consequent open doors for testimony and ministry it created and still continues unabated have proved clearly the workings of the hand of the Almighty! Financially too, the blessings of God have been unlimited and still continues!

Dear believer, when the situation looks bleak, you need to pray, “O LORD, open my eyes so I may see.” Only when the Lord opens your spiritual eyes can you see the invisible which will cause the visible to pale into insignificance! The physical situation may look and even remain the same but around you will be the almighty hands of God to make a way when there is no way! Keep on Believing God.

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, often I am surrounded by trouble. Open my eyes so I may see beyond my trouble and trust You to help me through. Lord! I believe; help my unbelief! Amen.