I think it is amazing how much of our time is wasted considering the enormous number that oppose us and not seeing the power of He who directs us. Certainly everyone is encumbered by many things in life and sometimes we fear the very size of the opposition. Maybe it might be health issues or maybe it might be financial concerns. It might even be issues in relationships or quite possibly its problems of a spiritual nature. Whatever the hindrances of our life if we focus only on them then in our minds the power of He who loves us most diminishes it would seem.
But really if our eyes are opened and we begin to view the greatness of His power and His kingdom then the size of our problems grows smaller and our view of Him and His grace and mercy grow larger.
In 2 KIngs 6:15-17 much insight is given to God’s people concerning this very issue. Elisha the prophet was blessed by the Lord with tremendous insight towards the intent of the enemies of the children of Israel. The King of Syria and his enormous army was making preparation to entrap the children of Israel and destroy them. Several times the King would make plans to attack but every time the Lord would inform Elisha and God’s people would be warned and the Kings plan would be of no avail and safety would be the result for God’s people.
The King thought that there must be a spy in his inner circle and began to question his closest confidants. But the truth was the Lord was warning Elisha and all of the Kings plans failed. He questioned his closest advisors about the location of Elisha and they all agreed that he was in Dothan. So the King sent an enormous amount of soldiers and chariots and they encircled Dothan by night and were ready to attack at the first light of morning.
The young servant of Elisha arose early that morning and went to the wall of the city and began to awake from his sleep. But his awakening was instant as he began to see the enormous amount of the enemy round about the city. He called for his master and said, “Alas my master! How shall we do.” In today’s language his concern was “What will we do. How shall we overcome such great numbers.”
The prophet answered with such eloquence and grace and conveyed a truth that we, God’s people of today, should never, ever forget. “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” Such great strength and truth comes to God’s people at such times of great need. Then the prophet prayed and the prayer is somewhat surprising. My prayer would probably be, “Lord, bring down fire and brimstone and destroy the enemy.” Or maybe my desire would be as Peter and the other disciples spoke on the ship in the middle of the storm, “Lord save us or we perish.”
But here is what Elsiha the prophet, called of God to be a spokesman for Him prayed. “Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see.” Isn’t it amazing that Elisha’s prayer in the midst of such opposing numbers was not for himself but for the young servant. And the Lord opened the young servants eyes and this is what he saw. “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. ” When the young man’s eyes were opened by the power of God he saw deliverance was nigh.
So, how large are your problems? How numerous are your adversaries? Do you lose sleep of a night or do you rely on some other means to cushion the pressure that is upon you because of all of your problems. Don’t get me wrong, we all have problems and they are real and they pile up and the cause pressure and it seems that there is no escape.
My prayer for us is “Lord open our eyes that we might see that deliverance is nigh. That there is a heavenly God-sent escape for all of our problems. Lord, let us see that Satan desires us to be ensnared by all of the problems of society. Lord open our eyes as the young lad and let us see that the Lord has given us deliverance and an avenue of escape.” Because as the prophet said, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.”