|
Victory Belongs To Us!
James
R. Davis
Apprehension
about life's problems may cause Christians to feel
overwhelming
despondency. Young Christians struggling to live clean,
moral lives
receive tremendous peer pressure to do what everybody else
is supposedly
doing -- they wonder if they can overcome. A Young
Christian woman
struggling to rear her children to be Christians without
any moral support
from her husband may think in her heart, "There is no
hope!" An alcoholic
feels that perhaps his problem is bigger than his
resources to
handle it. Caring souls see a church torn apart by strife,
personalities,
and conflicting interest may think, "Well, What's the
use?" The complexities
of life's problems deceive many into believing
that they are
defeated.
" . . . Alas,
my master! How shall we do?" was the cry of the servant of
Elisha when
he awoke one morning to see the city of Dothan surround by
the Syrian army
arrayed in battle armour (2 Kings 6:8-23). It was a cry
of hopelessness.
As the servant stood encountering the difficulties of the
situation, fear
gripped his soul and blinded him to the real possibilities;
his cry was
one of defeat.
The success of
the Christian is dependent upon recognition of his own
weakness, of
his constant need of God, and God's abiding presence. An
awareness of
these truths instilled hope in Elisha's heart and led him to
victory.
Christians may
equate maturity with the ability to handle life's dilemmas
alone, being
able to make it without anyone's help -- especially God's
help. Some perhaps
look at dependence upon God as a sign of weakness.
As Elisha took
inventory of his situation, he recognized that he was
incapable of
coping with the problem alone. He was not afraid to lean
upon God. Elisha
said, "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than
they that be
with them are" (2 Kings 6:16). He was confident that a God
of unlimited
resources would do for him what he could not do for himself.
If Elisha responded
to his problem as many Christians respond to their
problems, defeat
would certainly have followed. He understood his
limitations
and his own deep need of God's help.
A vivid realization
of God's abiding presence made Elisha's life
panic-proof.
God never intended for man to face life's crisis alone. The
Lord told Joshua,
" . . . Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid,
neither be thou
dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whither
soever thou
goest" (Joshua 1:9). Christians on the brink of despair must
realize they
have a heavenly Father to fall back upon. The Hebrew writer
wrote, ". .
. for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So
that we may
boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what
man shall do
unto me" (Hebrews 13:5,6).
Elisha prayed,
" . . . Lord . . . open his eyes, that he may see. And the
Lord opened
the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the
mountain was
full of horses and chariots of fire round about Eilsha" (2
Kings 6:17).
As the young man stood gazing into the heavens he learned
a vital truth
-- "God is a refuge and strength, a very present help in
trouble" (Psalms
46:1). David said, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,
from whence
cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord which
made heaven
and earth" (Psalms 121:1,2). Elisha looked to the Lord and
prayed, " .
. . Lord . . . Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And
he [God] smote
them with blindness according to the word of Elisha" (2
Kings 6:18).
Elisha's unwavering faith in God allowed him to see a ray of
hope shining
through the dark clouds of gloom and despair.
We sing an old
song, "Faith is the victory! Oh, glorious victory, That
overcomes the
world." In the midst of a confused and sometimes chaotic
world the Christian
is in Danger of despair. An Elisha-like faith will grant
us the strength
to go on and instill in our hearts the assurance that,
"Victory Is
Ours!"
|
