Surrounded!

Do you ever feel like everything is against you? Your job is in jeopardy and you don't have enough money to fill the gas tank or put food on the table. Perhaps you are ill and just can't get better or you have a relationship that is on the rocks and nothing seems to be able to fix it. Maybe you just don't feel right about yourself or are under attack from some other circumstance.

You feel surrounded by an enemy you can't hope to fight and you are ready just to give up.

Gehazi felt the same way as you. In 2 Kings 6 is the story of one day when Gehazi got up to get the morning paper and a latte at Starbucks (they had them back then, didn't they?). He went out the door and saw surrounding the city was the Syrian army. Uh oh.

At that point I'm sure Gehazi felt not a little bit of panic. You may know the story. Elisha the prophet comes out and Gehazi says "What shall we do?" And Elisha simply says to him "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

I can just imagine Gehazi thinking, "Uh, right. Let's see there's you and me and, hmmm, that's it!"

But then Elisha prays for Gehazi's eyes to be opened and then he sees surrounding the chariots of Syria chariots of fire from God.

What I find even more interesting is that they aren't needed, at least not then. Elisha prays and the Syrians are struck with blindness and Elisha leads them off to Samaria (and shows them mercy - but that's another story).

So what's the lesson for us? We need to realize that no matter how big our problem seems, there is a greater power for us than is against us. For one thing, God has sent his angels as ministering spirits to aid those who belong to Jesus. (Hebrews 1:14). But God doesn't necessarily send in those angels to rescue the day. He wants you to pray and trust in the Lord to provide in the situation what you need.

Elisha had to get involved. He prayed, he led the men, he acted in a godly way when he brought them to Samaria. God wants you involved in seeing his power work through you and transform you in the problem, not just rescue you from it.

Afraid of life? Surrounded by enemies? Realize God has surrounded the enemy with his forces and will swoop in if needed (it happens in chapter 7). But know this, greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). So pray and follow the leading of the Lord to see your rescue and be a part of it!

Pastor Tom