As God's children, we can trust Him to defend us as we do His will.
Dare 2 Share - You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (I John 4:4)
Oftentimes it seems as though the evil events of life come sneaking up and ambush us from behind. Just like a story I read recently where two gang members jumped and robbed a well-dressed man who appeared to be asleep in his seat. Just when they thought they had an easy victory and some extra cash, the whole car seemed to come alive! The “victim” turned out to be a decoy, and the passengers who jumped up from their seats were police officers. With lightning speed they captured the young thieves and made the arrest. To the bad guys, these officers were "unseen" at first, but that didn’t stop them from providing ample security for riders on that subway car.
This reminded me of a story that takes place in 2 Kings 6. An enemy military force intent on capturing them surrounded God’s prophet Elisha and his servant. The servant was as nervous as a turkey before Thanksgiving, but Elisha was as peaceful as a cat on a rocking chair. The servant couldn’t understand why Elisha wasn’t nervous; that is until Elisha prayed for his spiritual eyes to be opened. We read that when "the Lord opened the eyes of the young man," he saw an amazing sight (v.17). God had arrayed an invisible army "of horses and chariots of fire" all around Elisha, ready to protect the Israelites from the Syrian army.
As God's children, we can trust Him to defend us as we do His will. Even when the battle with life’s circumstances seems too great and it appears that we are about to face defeat, we must still trust the Lord. We can be encouraged by remembering Elisha's message to his servant: "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them" (v.16).
Perhaps you still have a nagging feeling of uncertainty from the events of September 11. Maybe your family seems to be falling apart, or your friends are turning against you because you are making a stand for Jesus Christ in these evil days. Even though you are certain that you are surrounded, be even more certain that God and His invisible army surrounds you with a force more powerful than any army that Satan can array. Go through this time confident that God “works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) We may face situations beyond our capacity to overcome, but never beyond God's capability to overwhelm.
Questions:
1) What circumstances have you feeling defeated?
2) How has God helped you in the past?
3) How can you become more like Elisha than the servant?
