There is an incredible story in 2 Kings chapters 6 & 7. The troops of Aram have laid siege to Samaria for so long that extreme famine has settled on the city. Some of the Israelites have resorted to eating their own children and are not even questioning the morality of such a deed. The king of Israel is so angry over this prolonged siege that he decides to kill God's man, Elisha. Elisha and his friends hold off the murderer while Elisha tells them all that the very next day will see the end of the siege and food aplenty in Samaria. One of the king's officers says, "Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?" (7:2) There seemed to be no plausible way that God could bring about such a drastic change in one day.
But of course God amazed them all by sending the Aramean army fleeing from their camp that night as they heard "the sound of chariots and horses and a great army" approaching. Surely this was the spiritual army that God opened Elisha's servant's eyes to see in chapter 6 when this same king of Aram sent his troops to kill Elisha. The abandoned camp was full of food and other treasures, and the famine was ended.
In reading this story today, I was struck by how incredible the means of God are. I try to figure out how He is going to change my brother-in-law's heart. Or how He's going to provide for my family in the years to come. Or how He's going to reach this Muslim nation in which I live with the good news of Jesus. I pray fairly faithfully, but I worry about how He's going to answer these impossible things I ask
for. I forget that His plans are not even fathomable by me.
Today I hear Him saying, "Ask. Believe. Wait and see. I'm going to do incredible things, 'immeasurably more than all [you] ask or imagine.'" (Eph 3:20)
Theresa Olive
Theresa Olive,
Thank you so much for that post!
Posted by: Liz | November 03, 2007 at 04:50 PM