Letter for June 1987

Dear Friends.

Do you ever feel fearful of people, or of events, or of the future, or of the powers of evil. or any of the other forces which effect us in this life? There is no need to be fearful or afraid if we are Christians, for the Lord of all creation is on our side. His power is altogether sufficient to protect us, and his love towards us is boundless and his watchfulness over us is never diminished or allowed to cease for a moment.

This assurance is brought home to us in one of the incidents in the life of Elisha. We can read about it in 2 Kings chapter 6, reading from verse 8.

The King of Aram or Syria was waging war against Israel. He made his plans of attack but found that always the King of Israel seemed to know his plan exactly, and so was able to foil the Syrian King’s purpose. When the King of Syria asked angrily of his of officers who was the traitor in his camp, he was told that he had no traitor, but that Elisha the prophet, evidently warned by God of all the Syrian plans, was passing on this information to the King of lsrael.

Here is the first incidence of God’s protection and care for his people.. He daily watches over us and warns us by his Holy Spirit of all the dangers in our way, and how to avoid them,

But there is a greater demonstration of God’s protection later in this piece of history. The King of Syria, angry at Elisha, finds where he is living in a place called Dothan. Under cover of darkness he surrounds the town to make it impossible for Elisha to escape.

Elisha’s servant looks out of the window the next morning and flies into a panic as he sees the huge Syrian army camped around their town, and comes crying to Elisha, “Oh. my lord, what shall we do?”

Elisha's reply is the message that I really want to leave with you, because it is always the truth for Christians. Elisha calms the fears of his servant with the words of verse 16. “Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” The Syrian army was great and strong, but the spiritual army of the Lord was greater and stronger.

It is being able to see this by faith which is the means of peace. Elisha prayed that his servant would be granted the ability to see with his eyes the forces of God in the spiritual realm who were there to protect Elisha. He was granted this sight with his physical eyes. As we pray, we will be given the assurance of faith inwardly that this is so for us also. The history goes on with the account of how Elisha was delivered from the Syrian anger.

Christians have this assurance because Christ has brought us to a place of favour and acceptance with God by his death and resurrection for us. This assurance is also for everyone who, acknowledging their sin and wretchedness, throw themselves on the mercy of Jesus, for Jesus said that no one who comes to him, will ever be rejected.

Your servant for Christ’s sake,