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2 Kings 6:8 Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, "I will set up my camp in such and such a place."
9 The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there."
10 So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.
11 This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, "Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?"
12 "None of us, my lord the king," said one of his officers, "but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom."
Lesson #1: God knows exactly what’s going on in your life.
Don’t miss this. God knows all things. He sees all things.
He can see further and faster than the NSA. He taps every phone, and reads every email. He knows what you think – before you think it.
You thought you were alone in this – but he knows exactly what’s going on!
13 "Go, find out where he is," the king ordered, "so I can send men and capture him." The report came back: "He is in Dothan."
14 Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.
This is just like the Devil. He’s overly clever. He thinks he can cut off every escape route.
15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked.
Lesson #2: It’s easy to get overwhelmed as a Christian.
When do Christians get overwhelmed?
When you think you are out of options.
The short-sighted Christian.
“What am I going to do?”
You’ve been there. When all escape routes have been cut off, and the emotional margin is gone, and the options are not options any more…
“What are we going to do?”
When that is the question, the answer is prayer.
“What are we going to do?” is the wrong question. The right one is “What is God going to do?”
When you think it’s all about you.
Ohh… poor you. You thought this was about you, your strength, your resources, your cleverness, your escape plan. You thought it was about your options, your forethought, your professional worry!
It isn’t. It’s about a God who has options you haven’t even imagined yet.
When you forget God’s love & power.
There are two errors Christians make in this area: They remember God’s love, but forget his power. Or they remember God’s power, but forget his love.
If you forget his power, you believe he WANTS TO, but forget he CAN.
If you forget his love, you believe he CAN, but doubt that he WANTS TO.
Both of those are wrong.
If you lose sight of the fact that God is FOR YOU…
if you get the feeling that he’s against you…
if you live your life cringing as though God is about to backhand you…
OR
If you think that he’s not really able to do anything about it…
If you think he’s never seen a situation as bad as yours…
Then you need to get a fresh vision of a God who both CAN and WILL help when you cry out to him.
16 "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
17 And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Lesson #3: You are outnumbered, unless you count God & his army.
Without him we cannot win. With him we cannot lose.
One man plus God makes a majority.
I’m not anti-gun, but this is better than concealed carry, or open carry, or machine guns or tanks or F-16s. If you’re a follower of Jesus, You’re surrounded by angels.
Psalm 34:7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
One angel, in one Old Testament story, killed 185,000 soldiers. In this, a whole hillside is covered – the prophet is surrounded by angels.
18 As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, "Strike these people with blindness." So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.
Lesson #4: God can open eyes, and close them.
There is more than one kind of blindness… there is one where you cannot see physically.
There is another, that you cannot see what you you do not wish to see.
And there is another where you cannot see what God doesn’t wish for you to see.
These men are NOT the only ones to be blind in this story – the servant was before they were!
God’s people can still be blind to his great power, and what he is really doing.
19 Elisha told them, "This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for." And he led them to Samaria.
This is the original “These are not the droids you’re looking for.”
This is an interesting kind of blindness. They can see, but they can’t see what is there.
20 After they entered the city, Elisha said, "LORD, open the eyes of these men so they can see." Then the LORD opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.
This had to be a hilarious moment to watch. You KNOW that the watchmen saw a force of this size coming way in advance, and saw Elisha leading them. You KNOW the military was marshaled in a hurry. You KNOW the military had them completely surrounded when they walked in.
And you know these men were shocked when they “woke up” and God allowed them to see where they were.
21 When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, "Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?"
22 "Do not kill them," he answered. "Would you kill men you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master."
23 So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel's territory.
2 Kings 6:8 Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, "I will set up my camp in such and such a place."
9 The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: "Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there."
10 So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.
11 This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, "Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?"
12 "None of us, my lord the king," said one of his officers, "but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom."
Lesson #1: God knows exactly what’s _________________ _________________.
13 "Go, find out where he is," the king ordered, "so I can send men and capture him." The report came back: "He is in Dothan."
14 Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.
15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked.
Lesson #2: It’s easy to get _________________________ as a Christian.
When do Christians get overwhelmed?
When you think you are out of _____________________.
When you are out of options, God has options you haven’t even imaged yet.
When you think it’s _________________________________.
“What are we going to do?” is the wrong question. The right one is “What is God going to do?”
When you forget God’s ____________________________.
If you forget his power, you believe he WANTS TO, but forget he CAN.
If you forget his love, you believe he CAN, but doubt that he WANTS TO.
16 "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
17 And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Lesson #3: You are outnumbered, unless you ___________ ___________________________.
Psalm 34:7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
Lesson #4: God can _________________, and ___________ ________________________.
18 As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, "Strike these people with blindness." So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.
19 Elisha told them, "This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for." And he led them to Samaria.
20 After they entered the city, Elisha said, "LORD, open the eyes of these men so they can see." Then the LORD opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.
21 When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, "Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?"
22 "Do not kill them," he answered. "Would you kill men you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master."
23 So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel's territ
