Have you ever been outnumbered? I’m talking about a time when the odds were so stacked against you it wasn’t even funny. That scenario seems to be the standard setting of many Bible stories.
Let's see, there was Jacob up against Esau and his 400 men. There were the newly escaped Jewish slaves against Pharaoh's armies at the Red Sea. Who can ever forget Gideon and his 300 men against the masses of Midian? While David and Goliath was a one-on-one battle, the young shepherd boy was certainly the underdog in that match. And what about being surrounded by five-thousand hungry people when all you have are five loaves and two fish? I would say that is being outnumbered!
Second Kings chapter 6 tells the story of a man of God who was seriously outnumbered. As the chapter begins, the king of Syria was having a meltdown because someone was informing the king of Israel of his battle plans. No matter what course of action he took, the king of Israel knew about it in advance. At first, the Syrian king thought he had a traitor on his team. He then learned the truth. God was revealing the Syrian battle plans to the prophet Elisha, who in turn informed the king of Israel. The solution to the problem was simple - take out Elisha!
A few mornings later, Elisha's servant was up early when he happened to look out of the window. What he saw caused a panic attack! During the night, the Syrian army had surrounded Elisha's hometown of Dothan, and it was obvious what they were after - one Jewish prophet. Realizing the situation they were in, the servant cried out, “Oh, sir, what will we do now?" (v15 NLT)
Elisha took a glance out the window and said, "Don't be afraid...For there are more on our side than on theirs!" (v16) Really? The servant probably thought, "Elisha and I make two. There has to be a gazillion Syrians out there! How in the world do we outnumber them?”
Sensing the young man's struggle, Elisha prayed, "'O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!' The LORD opened the young man's eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire." (v17)
So, have you ever been outnumbered? Do you feel outnumbered now? Like Elisha's servant, are you surrounded by more problems than you can count? If so, ask God to open your eyes of faith. Look! You are not alone. There are horses and chariots of fire encamped all around you! "For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him" (Psalm 34:7 NLT).
Sometimes the bullies of life gang up on us. We are surrounded. But never forget the wonderful truth of Romans 8:31, "If God is for us, who can ever be against us?" You and God always make a majority. In this world where it seems like evil is winning and the godless are prevailing, hang on to the timely words of Elisha and be encouraged, "Don't be afraid...For there are more on our side than on theirs!"
Pastor Todd Weston
Let's see, there was Jacob up against Esau and his 400 men. There were the newly escaped Jewish slaves against Pharaoh's armies at the Red Sea. Who can ever forget Gideon and his 300 men against the masses of Midian? While David and Goliath was a one-on-one battle, the young shepherd boy was certainly the underdog in that match. And what about being surrounded by five-thousand hungry people when all you have are five loaves and two fish? I would say that is being outnumbered!
Second Kings chapter 6 tells the story of a man of God who was seriously outnumbered. As the chapter begins, the king of Syria was having a meltdown because someone was informing the king of Israel of his battle plans. No matter what course of action he took, the king of Israel knew about it in advance. At first, the Syrian king thought he had a traitor on his team. He then learned the truth. God was revealing the Syrian battle plans to the prophet Elisha, who in turn informed the king of Israel. The solution to the problem was simple - take out Elisha!
A few mornings later, Elisha's servant was up early when he happened to look out of the window. What he saw caused a panic attack! During the night, the Syrian army had surrounded Elisha's hometown of Dothan, and it was obvious what they were after - one Jewish prophet. Realizing the situation they were in, the servant cried out, “Oh, sir, what will we do now?" (v15 NLT)
Elisha took a glance out the window and said, "Don't be afraid...For there are more on our side than on theirs!" (v16) Really? The servant probably thought, "Elisha and I make two. There has to be a gazillion Syrians out there! How in the world do we outnumber them?”
Sensing the young man's struggle, Elisha prayed, "'O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!' The LORD opened the young man's eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire." (v17)
So, have you ever been outnumbered? Do you feel outnumbered now? Like Elisha's servant, are you surrounded by more problems than you can count? If so, ask God to open your eyes of faith. Look! You are not alone. There are horses and chariots of fire encamped all around you! "For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him" (Psalm 34:7 NLT).
Sometimes the bullies of life gang up on us. We are surrounded. But never forget the wonderful truth of Romans 8:31, "If God is for us, who can ever be against us?" You and God always make a majority. In this world where it seems like evil is winning and the godless are prevailing, hang on to the timely words of Elisha and be encouraged, "Don't be afraid...For there are more on our side than on theirs!"
Pastor Todd Weston