When the servant of the man of God got up early and went out, he discovered an army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?”
Elisha said, “Don’t be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them.”
Then Elisha prayed, “LORD, please open his eyes and let him see.” So the LORD opened the servant’s eyes. He looked and saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:15-17 HCSB
Elisha was a prophet that had worked under the prophet Elijah. Elijah trained Elisha and then the Lord took Elijah up to heaven in a chariot of fire. Elisha witnessed this.
In this particular Scripture passage, the Arameans have been at war with the Israelites. The Arameans have a much bigger army. But the Israelites had God on their side, and He was speaking through the prophet, Elisha. Elisha was telling the king of Israel where to make camp and where not to go in order to avoid attack from the Aramean army. This infuriated the king of Aram and he thought he had a traitor in his midst, but his servants assured him that it was Elisha the prophet advising the king of Israel. In verse 12, they told the king of Aram that Elisha knew even what words he spoke in his bedroom. This is why they could not defeat Israel. The king of Aram told his servants to find Elisha. They found him in a small town called Dothan which is about 12 miles from the capital city of Samaria. This vast army surrounded the town in order to capture Elisha. This is where our Scripture passage begins.
Elisha’s servant awakes in the morning and goes outside and sees the city surrounded by this vast army. But when Elisha looks out, he sees God’s army. He sees those chariots of fire. He’s seen a chariot of fire before and he knows what that’s all about. This is when he knows that God’s got this. He tells his servant not to fear because God’s army is way bigger than the Aramean army.
The Aramean army began to come against him, and Elisha prayed to the LORD to strike them with blindness, and He did. Once they were blinded, Elisha guided them to the king of Israel who asked Elisha if he should kill them. But Elisha told him to feed them. He prepared a great feast for them and sent them on their way. God wanted them to know of his great power. Apparently, they got the message because they never entered into Israel again.
My friend, I don’t know what you are facing today, but I do know that if you are walking with God, you should not be afraid. He’s got this.
Elisha was a man of God; he was a prophet of God. God had given him the ability to know what the other army was doing so he could help the Israelite army. They were God’s chosen people. Elisha walked with God and was in close relationship with Him.
We can choose to walk with God. We can choose to live under His protection (Psalm 91:1). We can choose to put all our focus on God and let Him take care of us (Matthew 6:33).
If you listen to the devil, you will focus on the big army. That’s what he wants you to do. He wants to distract you and keep you from focusing on God. When we focus on God, we can see those chariots of fire. We know that He will fight this battle, we just need to stand and watch His deliverance (2 Chronicles 20:15-16). God’s army is bigger than any battle we will ever face. He stands ready to deploy them to come to our rescue. We will go through some trying times, but He is right there with us. He will not let us be defeated if we simply trust in Him.
You have a choice. You can try to go it on your own and do it your way like Sinatra sang about or you can do it God’s way and be victorious. When I hear Sinatra crooning about doing it his way, I just shake my head. I have learned the hard way to do it God’s way. I have tasted the kind of victory that only God can deliver. I have felt His protection when times were tough. And when massive armies have attacked me, He has fought those battles. He will do the same for you. Turn to Him today.
Have a great day!