Daily Devotional For Sunday, January 21, 2024

There is an interesting story in 2 Kings 6 where the prophet Elisha is wanting to attempting to find a place to meet with his “school of prophets.” They first attempt to go to the Jordan River so they can cut down some trees and use the lumber to build a place. While doing this, one of the men’s axe head broke off and fell into the water.  He was upset because it was a borrowed axe. Elisha cut a stick and threw into the water and all of a sudden the axe head floated to the top. 

The king of Aram was at war with Israel and every place where the king of Israel wanted to travel, Elisha would warn him it was a trap set by the king of Aram. This so engaged the king of Aram that he thought one of his own soldiers was betraying him to the king of Israel. He sent out his scouts to discover where Elisha was so that he could kill him. His scouts said, “He is in Dothan.” Then the king of Aram sent his army by night to Dothan. When Elisha and his servant woke up, they realized they were surrounded with no way of escape. 

Here is the rest of the story in 2 Kings 6:15-18 “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 no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. (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, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that 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. (18) As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.” So He struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.(ESV).

In his brilliant book, Nicholas and Alexandra: The Classic Account of the Fall of the Romanov Dynasty, Robert K. Massie tells how the Tzar and Empress of Russia were misled by a miracle and thus brought their great empire down to dust:

 After many years of anxious waiting for an heir to the Russian throne, Tzar Nicholas II and his German wife, Federovna, were blessed with a son.  However, their hopes for the future were cruelly crushed six weeks later when doctors discovered the infant had hemophilia, an incurable blood disease that could kill at any moment.  All of his short life was to be lived in the shadow of terror, with death stalking every footstep.  

This tragedy introduced into the royal family one of the most evil men who ever lived.  Several times the young tsarevich slipped close to death. Seeing him writhe in excruciating pain, his tormented parents would beg doctors to do something, but they were helpless. In those moments they turned to Gregory Rasputin, a religious mystic of questionable credentials, later known as the mad monk of Russia. Invariably, he would pray for the boy and there would be a marked improvement.  

Even today doctors are at a loss to explain how these healings took place, but history testifies to them. Always, Rasputin would warn the parents the boy would only live as long as they listened to him. Rasputin's power over the royal family became so great that he could, with a word, obtain the appointment or dismissal of any government official. He had men appointed or dismissed on the basis of their attitudes toward him rather than their abilities. Consequently, the whole Russian government reeled under the unwise counsel of this evil man. Seeds of revolution were planted and watered with discontent. It erupted into the murder of the royal family and a revolution.  Alexander Kerensky, a key government figure during those trying times, later wrote, "Without Rasputin, there could never have been Lenin!”

Lenin was responsible for what was called "The Red Terror." Scholars state that he had as many as 28,000 executions per year from December 1917 to February 1922. A total of estimated deaths during his Red Terror years could be as high as 200,000 people. This is why getting wise biblical and godly counsel is so important. There is power in counsel that can move and motivate a person’s life or even the life of a whole nation. I remember when President George W. Bush, the younger stood on the rubble at ground zero of the 911 attacks. He said this to those who had planned and carried out the attack, “I can hear you! I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you," replied Bush. "And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon." His words rallied a broken and hurting nation. 

This is why reading the Book of Proverbs is great. There is much needed godly and biblical wisdom in the Proverbs for us. So in 2 Kings 6, what we have here is an unexpected attack just like with 911. The army of Aram only wanted one person — Elisha. Surely, the citizens of Dothan would surrender him to protect their city, their lives and their children’s lives.

I love it when God adds humor. Elisha’s servant wakes up and is in a state of fear. Elisha, who trusts Yahweh, says, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that 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” The problem was Elisha’s servant had his eyes on the army from Aram, not the Lord. Elisha had his eyes on the Lord. Isn’t that our problem too?

I imagine that when Elisha said, “Lord, open his eyes that he may see,” Elisha’s servant started looking around and figure his mentor needed a lesson in math. There were thousands of soldiers surrounding them and just 2 of them.  We get near-sighted on a problem and we cannot see our God who is bigger than our problem. I especially love this verse 15 in the story: “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked” (ESV). If Elisha’s servant had not asked that question, he would have missed the biggest miraculous sight in his lifetime. You can read the rest of how this story ends with God being merciful to the army of Aram in 2 Kings 6:19-23.

Both men were faced with a crisis - one man, Elisha, knew God was aware and available - the other, his servant,  had yet to learn. Where do you think Elisha learned that the heavens were filled with the invisible hosts of God’s angels?  In 2 Kings 2. When God takes Elijah, Elisha’s mentor to heaven, Elisha got a glimpse of the heavenly army in verse 12, “Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” (ESV). God allowed Elisha to into the spiritual dimension. If we had the ability to see into the spiritual dimension we would see the air above us, filled with the hosts of heaven.

So, when you are facing a crisis, a problem, a dilemma, what do you see? The crisis? The problem? The dilemma? Or do you choose to see God there with you? I do not have all the answers as to why He intervenes in some cases and not in others but here is what I have learned to trust God with in those times:

1. Sometimes God sends His heavenly host to minister for us, but they can’t minister in us. Only Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit can do that. Angels do not save nor transform souls; only God does that. Angels cannot enlighten us with spiritual truth, only God can do that. Angels can’t comfort us, only God can. Read John 15:26, “But when the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, He will testify and bear witness about Me” (AMP). 
2. When God does intervene by sending help from heaven, heavenly host, we are to never worship them. When Jesus was being tempted in the wilderness by the devil, He quoted Deuteronomy 6:13 to the devil in Luke 4:8, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only” (ESV).
3. When God does use heavenly host to protect us, we must remind ourselves that only God can ultimately provide any kind of protection. There are web sites that tells people’s personal testimonies of God using angels to protect them. Here is one: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/encountering-angels-10-stories-from-people-just-like-brim-bagley God has not left us unprotected. Read Ephesians 6:10-20. We have spiritual armor we are to put on each day. I have often said, “We have the most powerful force in the universe living inside of us — Jesus Christ. We do not need anything or anyone else.”

Yes, I am aware of Hebrews 1:13-14, which talks about “ministering angels.” Even David writes about them in Psalm 34:7. When you are facing a problem, a crisis, a dilemma, take your emotional eyes off it and put your spiritual eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ. Instead of worrying about it, instead of trying to control it, instead of trying solve it, look to heaven as Elisha’s servant did and you’ll see Jesus Christ — not your version of Rasputin (giving you the wrong counsel and advice). 

Scripture to Meditate On: Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (ESV).

Prayer to Pray: “Dear Jesus, there are times where my eyes are not on You, especially when I am facing a crisis, a problem or a dilemma. My tendency is to think and believe: `I need to solve this’ before I come to You. You tell me to “cast all my cares on You because You care for me” in 1 Peter 5:7. Jesus, I want to walk by faith, and not sight as 2 Corinthians 5:7 says. I do not want to experience the reality of Ephesians 4:14 due to my lack of faith. Jesus, open my eyes that I might see and believe You and the truth of Your Word, the Bible. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”