Chariots of Fire

"he saw"

2 Kings 6:17

When's the last time you read the Book of Kings?  There are some great stories in there.  In 1 Kings 18 is the story of Elijah taunting the prophets of Baal.  These poor misguided souls spent hours calling on Baal to bring down fire on their sacrifice, but of course, nothing happened.  So Elijah mocks them a little more, and then prays to God to bring down fire on his sacrifice, which, of course, He did.   There isn't a lot of sarcasm in Scripture, which makes it all the more entertaining when there is.

2 Kings 6 also has the story of Elisha retrieving a sunken axhead.  It had fallen into the water, and the man responsible was distraught, as he had borrowed it.  Elisha cut a stick and threw it over the place where the ax had sunk, and up it came.

And 2 Kings 13 is where we find the story of a dead man being buried in the same grave as Elisha.  Just by virtue of coming in contact with Elisha's bones, the dead man came back to life.  Amazing.

But this story is one of my favorites.  It's so applicable to life.  It challenges me.  And I like a challenge.  But I especially like a challenge that challenges me to do something I'm already doing.  Or I think I'm doing.  Or I am doing, but I'm doing it in an earthly way, and I'm challenged to do it in Him.  Or through Him.  Or with Him.  BYOP.  (Bring your own preposition.)

This is a story of battle.  Been in a battle lately?  Know anyone in a battle?  The King of Aram had sent horses and chariots and "a strong force" to capture Elisha.  They came at night and surrounded the city of Dothan, where Elisha was.  And when Elisha's servant got up the next morning, he saw the army, the horses and chariots, that had surrounded the city.  "What shall we do?" he asked of Elisha.

Elisha's servant was frightened, because of what he saw.  What do you see?  Headlines?  Gas prices? Your savings account balance?  Scary stuff indeed.  But Elisha saw what his servant didn't.  "Don't be afraid," he answered his servant, "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

"Those who are with us"?  There was no one with them!  It was just Elisha and his servant!

Verse 17:  "Elisha prayed, 'Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see."

Think the servant was looking with closed eyes?  I think not.  But God enables us to see more than we can see on our own.

"The Lord opened the servant's eyes...


... and he looked...


... and he saw...


... and the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."

So pray, and then look, and then see, what the Lord is doing all around you.

Or simply know that He is.