“And he
answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them"- 2 Kings 6:16
A
wise woman once told me: “When you have a problem, adversary, or obstacle;
start by telling God how big He is.” It’s
a similar sentiment to the often-quoted cliche: “Don’t tell God how big your
problems are, tell your problems how big God is.” The bottom line, they that be with us are
more than they that be with them. If you
have God, then you are always in the majority, and we need to have confidence
in that. For a wholehearted belief in
this gives you confidence to step in faith, doubting nothing
.
Throughout the scriptures you will find
examples of God’s people faced with overwhelming odds and they are able to
overcome because of God’s help. Moses against
Pharaoh. David against Goliath. Gideon against the Midianites. Here we have yet another example. The prophet Elisha, and his servant
surrounded by a mighty army. What to many
would seem a hopeless case, how could two men with no military experience ever
hope to survive this attack? What could
they do? Elisha just says to the servant
who is terribly afraid, “fear not: for they that be with us are more than
they that be with them.” Then Elisha
prays and the Lord opens the servant’s eyes and he sees what Elisha already
saw. He sees the armies and chariots of
fire round about. There was a multitude of unseen reinforcements. This is who is with us. A multitude of unseen reinforcements. God has the battlements of heaven at his
disposal. When a child of God prays,
they access all the ability of heaven. Therefore,
prayer is perhaps the greatest weapon against the hordes of Satan the Christian
has at their disposal. The spiritual man
has confidence in the might of heaven.
They have confidence, not in themselves, but in the God of heaven. This confidence is manifested in a peaceful
diligence. It is manifested in sacrificial
obedience. It is exemplified in devoted
living and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Each day, going about doing good despite changing
circumstance, overwhelming odds, or worldly temptation. The armies of Satan are dwarfed in comparison
to the armies round about.
The origin story of my church, Christ’s
Sanctified Holy Church, bares with it a rich history of evangelism. In the late 1800’s to early 1900’s, our
people crossed this country preaching holiness.
They preached without fear of man nor means. Leaving behind the comforts of life and the promise
of fortune. Their zeal both inspires and
shames me. It is their confidence in the
Holy Ghost, and the might of God’s power that was the fire burning in the fire
box of that mighty locomotive of evangelism.
Their spiritual eyes were open, and they saw the armies round about and
had confidence in them. They had more
confidence in God than money, education, or organization. Today, I can’t help but wonder, if they Elisha,
and we the servant.