Elisha drove the King of Aram nuts by predicting his military movements. Having had enough, the King of Aram sets out to capture Elisha. Once located an army is duly dispatched bring him in.
Elisha's servant is first up and sees the amassed forces. Naturally he sees doom ... but that raises the question: do we see doom or deliverance? Elisha sees differently, and prays for his servant's eyes to be opened: God has sent a protection force!
Are we able to see spiritually, sense the bigger picture, have a handle on what God is doing? Real problems will come our way, we are not to deny them, but maybe there is more to see ... God at work in the situation. We must surely learn to see not just the physical before us, but the spiritual that goes with it. Hence our question/challenge pair:
Key Qn: [OUT] Do you see doom or deliverance?
Challenge: Learn to see the spiritual, not just the physical
God is able to bring victory. 'He that is in us is greater than he who is in the world' (cf 1 Jn 4:4). Yet it is a victory of a different kind, involving a slap up meal and sending the troops home! That's the stuff of Jesus - who said 'love your enemies', and in line with Paul's words 'overcome evil with good'. New Testament love seen in an Old Testament story.
These stories of Elisha are thus like modern day YouTube movie teasers, anticipating the real film. That real film is of course Jesus in the gospels. Now we get to take part in the many sequels, unfolding the victory of God now already won. Real life chances for God to restore and deliver ... if we might learn to see and act on it.
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