In the middle of this story about war is a verse that can be most encouraging to all of us. Verse 16 reads, “fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” These few verses are an excerpt from the overall record of the efforts by the king of Syria to wage war against Israel. We also have two men with opposite spiritual points of view.
The young man mentioned is not wayward, is not an unbeliever, is not unfaithful to God, but is highly concerned for what he sees before him. On the other hand, the prophet Elisha stands as a man spiritually mature who has complete trust in God. There is no right or wrong between them. It is that their perception is different. Where they looked made all the difference. Their perception is a lot like ours.
The danger was very real. The king of Syria was determined to be the victor. His military composed a great host. They came in the stealth of night. They surrounded the city. The young man had every right to believe they were doomed. He wanted to continue his service to God but concluded it impossible to complete. The Syrian military was formidable. There was no second guessing concerning the King’s intention.
This is not unlike the situations of today’s Christian. There are many opponents to believers’ devotion. In a moment’s notice joy can turn to sadness, calm can turn to fear, concern can turn to worry, and faith can be challenged. Illness is a great enemy of ourselves and our loved ones. Accidents can happen at any time. Harm from those with evil intention can suddenly appear. Love can be thwarted resulting in a broken heart. Whatever stability we think is ours can be brought down by an emotional or physical earthquake. We pray hard for a quick solution. There may be times when we feel God has abandoned us as we turn a corner despair.
The prophet was fully aware of the danger. He did not pretend the Syrian army was not there. Circumstances had changed drastically in the nighttime. The enemy fully intended to defeat the prophet and his people. It seemed that everything was stacked against him to have faith. A young man challenge the prophet for any version of a positive outcome.
The main difference between the two was that the young man looked on the ground where the enemy stood. The prophet looked up to the mountains where the answer of protection stood. It was all a matter of focus. It was not even a matter of faith. It was what they concentrated on. When circumstances, the devil, other people, challenge our understanding of safety in God, what do we see?
It is not easy to look upon the mountains especially if our view is from a deep dark pit. You may be challenged at this very moment. You may even feel like God has let you down. You may feel there’s nowhere to turn. My suggestion is the example of Elisha. Let the eyes of your heart see God’s answer. If the answer is not what you want, God’s angelic soldiers will still see you through and accompany each step you take away from the crushing blow.
Christian Writer 