Sometimes – Things Are Not What They Look Like

This past Sunday I listened to a sermon given by a young (20-something) youth pastor.  He is a great communicator and expositor of the Truth and Way and Life.  The focus of his sermon was as my title suggests – things are not always what they look like. His text was from 2 Kings 6:15-17  “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. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 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.”

This same servant had been with Elisha and observed how God used him.  But this was a little closer to home.  There was no way, that he could see, that they would survive this. Have you ever been there?  Your circumstance was so difficult that you could see no way that anything good could come from it.  Anything good, in this case, was what you had decided was what should happen. Stress, worry, fear set in.  A sense of hopelessness and dread.  The point of this scripture is that God had already showed up.  He is sovereign. The servant could not see what Elisha saw because the servant was focused on his circumstances.  Listen – if you are standing in the road and a truck is coming – you don’t just stand there – you get out of the road – God gave you the sense to do that – but when life overwhelms you – tragedy strikes – you may have your heart broken – your life savings lost – your home destroyed in a disaster – whatever – remember that God has not forsaken you.  He is already in the midst of all of that.  

(Isaiah 35:4) “say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution He will come to save you.” 

You have been saved supernaturally – not so that what you experience in the natural will only be good – but more – that you can endure whatever happens in the natural – knowing that your hope in is the Lord and your confidence and joy is not dependent upon your circumstances and predicaments. 

(Proverbs 18:10) “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and they are safe.”

Remember that and rest in it the next time you think your circumstances have you surrounded. CHARLEY