23/06/2011 - An unwise decision

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“So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him. And it was told him, saying, “Surely he is in Dothan.” (II Kings 6:13)
Elisha was a prophet of God whose ministry stood out due to divine manifestation. And this is how it must be for all those who are called to do the Lord’s blessed work. We need no marketers or manoeuvres to promote our cause; all we need to do is to make sure our work is done through God.
On one occasion some boys let themselves be carried away by the devil and mocked a man of God because he was bald. Yet, because of that evil attitude they had to pay with their lives: the prophet pronounced a curse and two female bears came out of the woods and mauled them (II Kings 2:23–25).
On another occasion the king of Syria planned to wage war against Israel and to that end he gathered all his generals in Damascus and architected some plans of attack. However, because Elisha lived in the presence of the Most High he managed to find out the king’s evil plans against the servants of the Lord. So the Prophet warned the king of Israel who took the appropriate steps to protect his people. But such measures enraged the Syrian ruler who, puzzled with so many coincidences, began to think that there was a traitor among his servants.
But although the king was told that such was not the case and that in the land of the chosen people there was a man to whom the Most High revealed everything, the Syrian king took a foolish action: he told his servants to go after the prophet of the Lord because the king wanted his soldiers to arrest him (II Kings 6:8-23). Well, that was also heard by Elisha, who would have fled if he had acted according to his flesh. It shows that we must not make hasty decisions concerning the news that come into our ears; rather, we must allow our Father to guide us on what to do next.
As Elisha’s assistant saw an immense army besieging the town he got desperate and went up to his master to break the news. Yet, the prophet, who trusted in the Lord as his Protection, prayed for Him to open the young man’s eyes. The young man could see that those who were with them were greater in number than those who were with the enemy and that the mount was full of horses and chariots of fire.
A man of God always has a plan: the Lord’s plan. Elisha prayed for the Most High to strike everybody with blindness. Then he led them to Samaria and prayed for the Almighty God to heal them. Yet, when they opened their eyes they saw they were right in the heart of Samaria surrounded by the local army and before the Israeli king. Then the Syrians got desperate and the ruler of Israel asked if he could hurt all of them. Well, God does nothing aiming at destruction but at teaching lessons for people to live well. In our days even if some people harm us, we must not pray for them to die but for them to have full knowledge of the Truth.
Elisha did not let the king mistreat the Syrians. Instead, he set some food for them and in his days as a result of that wise attitude the bands of Syrian raiders went no more into the land of Israel. My brethren, the fruits of faith must be peace and salvation. Therefore, take care of those who are under your responsibility.
In Christ, with love,
R. R. Soares