So quit doing math with the eyes of the world. You may feel lonely, and despised, and rejected. You may think that there is no one else, that you alone bear your burden. You may feel as if you enemies have gone over your head and that this battle is too great for you. And you would be right. The battle is too great. But there are always more that are with you than are with them.
2 Kings 6:1-23
The Syrian army was brutal. Their oppression of God’s people was relentless and cruel. The helpless were carried away captive; the poor and the weak were the first victims.
Like a lion, the devil’s army seeks to separate the weak from the herd and then go in for the kill. The tactic is very successful. This was also practiced by the Syrian army. Divide and destroy. Pick off the weak.
Even though Israel had a wicked king who refused to bend the knee to the God of Israel, the LORD still had pity on his people. When Ben-Hadad, king of the Syrians, would plan a secret raid on an unprotected village, God would tell his prophet Elisha of the plan and Elisha would warn the armies of Israel. The villages would be spared. But Ben-Hadad was convinced that there was a traitor in his inner circle.
When Ben-Hadad found out that there was a lone voice protecting the weak from destruction, he set his mind on destroying that voice. He sent his armies to destroy Elisha so that he could continue his policy of destruction, lies, and oppression unhindered.
But God had other plans.
The Syrian army approached Elisha’s village. The thundering of the feet, the shouts of the commanders, the snorting of the horses, the clanging chariots. How terrifying for Elisha!
Elisha’s servant goes outside and sees the tremendous army surrounding the village and is overcome with fear. “Alas, Master, what shall we do?”
Have you felt that same fear? Have you felt surrounded on every side, utterly alone and forsaken?
Has a well-meaning friend said, “Don’t worry. God won’t give you more than you can handle”? You know better, don’t you?
The fact is this: the armies of Syria were far, far greater than Elisha and his one servant could handle.
And the armies of the world, the devil and our own flesh are far, far greater than we can ever handle. Our enemies are fierce and relentless.
But then look at what Elisha says,
16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. (2Ki 6:16)
Let those words sink in your ears. Meditate on them in your night terrors. When you are forsaken and alone, remember them.
Those who seek your life to destroy you are strong, relentless and fearless. They are greater than you can bear.
But fear not. There are more with you than there are with them.
Elisha’s servant responded like all of us do. He counted what he could see. Two. There’s two of us. Now, Elisha, look at the chariots, the horsemen, the cavalry, the infantry. Are we having math issues here?
No. We aren’t having a problem with math. We are having a problem with perception.
