We have More with Us

2 Kings 6: 15-17

Watch on YouTube – Watch on Facebook

Have you ever woken up in the morning and felt completely overwhelmed and terrified of what lay ahead of you in that coming day? Maybe you have financial concerns. Maybe there are health concerns for yourself or a loved one. Maybe relationships are on the rocks. Whatever it is, sometimes we wake up and we feel completely overwhelmed and stressed out as we consider the opposition that we are about to face.

When I wake up and feel that way, I take great comfort when I recall the story in Second Kings Chapter 6, where the Prophet Elisha was in the city of Dothan and his servant wakes up and he looks out. And lo and behold, he sees this enemy army camped outside the city there to take captive himself and his master Elisha, probably to kill them to get rid of them.

Elisha, though, when the servant comes to him and alarmed and says, What are we going to do? Elisha is calm and collected, and he prays to God to open the eyes of his servant, and his servant sees something amazing. We find this really encouraging for ourselves. Let me share with you from 2 Kings Chapter 6, beginning at verse 15,

When the man of God’s servant got up early and went out, there were soldiers, horses, and chariots surrounding the city. So his attendant said to Elisha, “Oh no, my lord! What will we do?” He answered, “Don’t be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, open his eyes so that he can see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire, all around Elisha.

There’s more who are with us than there are with our opposition, what comfort that gives to us as we are facing these stressful, awful times. We have God on our side. God almighty. And here we are told that he sends his holy angels to guard and keep us. But what comfort we have knowing the almighty God is here, especially as we face these struggles and problems in our lives and what confidence we can have.

Almighty God cares for me, even when our enemies are camped right outside our door, whatever they might be. God almighty has my back, and I know for a fact that he loves me. His own Son came into this world to live for me, to go to the cross, to die for me, to pay for all my sins. He rose from the dead to assure me that I have an eternal home and eternal life with him waiting in heaven.

We have the assurance of God’s love also as we receive the waters of baptism, God places his name on us and he promises that we belong to him, that he will never leave us or forsake us. So we come and share in the Lord’s Supper, he gives us his own body and blood so that we have complete assurance that we have nothing to worry about. Even though great opposition is facing us, we have a God who is on our side.

Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them, we have almighty God with us and we pray,

Oh Lord, we thank you for being with us and for giving us the comfort that in spite of any opposition that we might face, you are here with us through it all. You will guide us and lead us through it. You promised us forgiveness and eternal home with you. Amen.

God’s peace be with you.