It’s shockingly easy to forget that God is, in fact, going before us. So easy. If I had a nickel for every time I worried about what would happen to me I would at least have enough nickels to not worry about finances anymore. It’s not an accident that the Bible is stuffed with reminders to stay calm and not freak out. We kind of have a habit of doing exactly that.
We see that in story of Elisha and how wholeheartedly he believed God would see him through every obstacle.
Now Elisha was going around telling people what God had to say so naturally people hated him. And unfortunately for Elisha, some of those people were pretty powerful. The kind of powerful that makes it all too easy to get rid of people saying unfavorable things about you. So when Elisha started prophecy against the king of Aram, the king was unsurprisingly looking to get rid of Elisha. Furious, he sent troops to the city Elisha was in to circle it and eliminate him.
So one morning, Elisha’s servant looks outside and sees the forces on their way. He starts panicking, not unreasonably it would seem. It’s not exactly calming to see an army bearing down on you with the intention of killing you and your boss. He goes to Elisha wailing about their peril, but Elisha himself is completely unbothered. He tells his servant: “Don’t be afraid! For there are more on our side than on theirs!” (2 Kings 6:16). Then he prays that God would open his servant’s eyes to see. And holy cow does he see.
The Bible tells us: “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.” (2 Kings 6:17)
No wondering Elisha wasn’t freaking out…
Elisha wasn’t unbothered because he was ignorant or flippant. He was unbothered because he had such total and complete confidence in who God is and what He would do. He didn’t need to see the heavenly host to know who was going before him.
How differently would we live if we lived with this image in the forefront of our minds? I know for my part, I would be a little less afraid of confrontation that’s for sure.
Now a hard truth. That protection may not play out the way you want, or even expect it to. We don’t see a whole lot of angelic armies smacking down our enemies these days. At least, I don’t. The reality is, we are not guaranteed safety, or even long and healthy lives. If this were the case, there would be no such thing as martyrs.
From a worldly standpoint, you might suffer or even lose. You will experience pain and loss. By other’s perspective, it may look like you’ve been ruined. But for believers with that Elisha-like view, those moments of earthly defeat are nothing but a blip on the radar, a glancing shot off the bow, a harmless graze.
The point is that you are on the side of victory. Whatever happens to your life here on this earth, Christian, you are wrapped up in the victory of God’s plan for eternity. You are part of the host that stands with him. And the side you are on far outnumbers the side that is against you. Trust me. Heavenly, eternal victories will always eclipse temporary, earthly defeats. By being in Christ, you are living in victory. Right here, right now. No matter what is happening to you. And I don’t doubt for a second that that same host will be waiting to welcome the faithful when they arrive in paradise.
We need to open our eyes like Elisha’s servant and see just how protected we are by salvation. We need to live as though we were seeing that army with us in the right here and now. Total surrender. Total commitment. You are covered, Christian. You are victorious because you’re enveloped by the victor.
Bruised but not crushed, you will not be defeated. You live in victory.
Let’s find some joy,
-A
Avalon Robinson Author 