Scripture: 2 Kings 6 v 15 - 18: "And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha."
Elisha was an old testament prophet who wore the mantle of Elijah. He had seen Elijah taken from Earth by God in a chariot of fire. He had asked Elijah for a double portion of his prophetic anointing and Elijah responded that if he saw him leave Earth his request would be granted.
Indeed Elisha clung to Elijah that day to claim his reward. He certainly was very gifted in his prophetic ministry, including the time which is in the above verses.
The king of Syria was at war with Israel and he had laid careful plans to ambush the king of Israel and his men. Every time he did so the king of Israel went a different route. This infuriated the Syrian king who suspected a traitor in his camp feeding the plans to Israel.
His men protested that no one was a traitor but the prophet Elisha tells his king things you whisper in your bedroom. He can pick up your plans and warn the king. The Syrian king sent a troop of horsemen and chariots to capture the prophet. Elisha's servant saw that they were surrounded and panicked.
Elisha prayed for the young servant to see what he could see and it happened. He saw that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding them. Elisha then prayed for the opposite to happen to the Syrian forces, that they would be blinded. The Lord immediately sent blindness upon them so they could lead them to Samaria, where the king of Israel was.
Instead of killing the Syrians they made a great feast for them before sending them back to the king of Syria so bringing peace between the two lands.
We must be the peacemakers as Elisha was. Jesus is the Prince of Peace or the highest authority giving peace. He lives in our hearts to create peace within
us so we can spread it into volatile situations. If we are filled with His peace we can transmit it to others by laying on of hands or by speaking peace into a troubled area.
Our God works with us as He did with Elisha. The prophet was under attack but the Lord was with him, protecting him and blinding his attackers. When we have total trust in Jesus and true fellowship with Him, we will see extraordinary things, amazing ways the Lord protects us and gives us the edge over those who confront us.
We have to let go and let God control situations beyond our ability. My favourite prayer is asking the Lord to turn the tables on those who take advantage of the weak and elderly. Every now and then an item in the newspaper will catch my eye. Like 84 year old woman fights off bag snatcher by hitting him over the head with it until he ran away. Her comment was I suddenly had a lot of strength to fight him off!
I have spoken to a man who had six bullets fired at him from very close range, about four feet, and every one missed him. My son was hijacked in his car outside his home with at least four guns pointing at him. He was unharmed and got his car back next day, stripped of its contents but still okay.
The Lord watches over us and is able to help in time of crisis. We must call upon His name and know that Jesus will never leave us. We may not see the chariots of fire of Elijah and Elisha, we may not see anything, but we will know in our hearts that we have been rescued.
My friend recently had to face down a raging inferno threatening her home and the wild animals in their park that attracted tourists. She had been doubting the Lord and had cried out to Him to prove He was real.
This fire had already caused huge losses in the Eastern Cape over more than 100 miles. She knew she had to withstand Satan from destroying her family's farm. She knelt down on a dusty road and screamed for him to depart. She praised and thanked God for His help. She heard His voice say, Be very specific about what you want Me to do.
Lord Jesus, she prayed, let nothing on our farm be burnt, not the animals nor their feed, not our homes. Spare us from the fire. They then had to evacuate and were only able to return the following day. A very small patch of grass was burnt but everything else on this farm was perfectly fine. No animals or houses were harmed. Jesus had proved Himself to her.
Her mother, right outside my flat, a few years ago, accidentally bumped a man off his bike with her car. She jumped out in a panic that he may be badly hurt. He got up laughing! He told her that he suffered chronic back problems and the bump had done a miracle as it had wrenched his back perfectly and the pain had gone!
These are the testimonies that bring us joy and praise to our God who says all things work together for good to those who love Me and are called according to My purpose. Let us expect these good things to happen and exalt Him for His grace.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we may never see Your chariots but we see Your beauty and miracles all around us! Thank You for Your powerful protection. We love You Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen.
