Thought for October 15

 History:

  • 1815: Napoleon begins exile on St Helena
  • 1860" Grace Bedell [age 11] writes letter to Lincoln suggesting he grow a beard
  • 1878: Edison Electric Light  Co. incorporated
  • 1894: Alfred Dreyfus arrested for espionage
  • 1933: 20th Amendment becomes effective--Presidential term begins in January,  not March
  • 1937: Hemingway's "To Have and Have Not" published
  • 1939: LaGuardia airport opens
  • 1940: Charlie Chaplin's "Great Dictator" premiers
  • 1951: "I Love Lucy" premiers
  • 1952: EB White publishes "Charlotte's Web"
  • 1954: Hurricane Hazel hits NC
  • 1966: Department of Transportation created
  • 1968: Al Oerter wins fourth consecutive Olympic Gold in the discus
  • 1977: Debbie Boone's "You Light Up My Life" hits #1 and stays there for 10 weeks
  • 2018: Sears files for bankruptcy
  • Born: Virgil, Friedrich Nietzche, John Kenneth Galbraith [economist], Mario Puzo [The Godfather], Lee Iacocca, Penny Marshall, Jim Palmer, Richard Carpenter [The Carpenters], Roscoe Tanner, Sarah Ferguson, 
  • Died: Mata Hari, Herbert Henry Dow [Dow Chemical], Hermann Goering [Nazi], Cole Porter, Pat O'Brien, Paul Allen [Microsoft]
Thought:
Reading 2 Kings 6 this morning and particularly 6:16 which I have underlined in red: "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."  You recall the story. Aram was fighting Israel and Elisha would tell the king of Israel the plans of Aram. In fact, Elisha knew the words the king of Aram spoke in his bedroom [6:12]--Elisha was a super spy. So the king of Aram send chariots and an army to Dothan to capture Elisha. Elisha's servant sees this great army surrounding Dothan and asks Elisha, "What shall WE do?" This is often our question when faced with a challenging or frightening situation. I first worry about what I will do before asking God what He has in mind. 

Notice Elisha's response:
  • Do not fear. I wish I could just remember this. When the forces of evil seem to be too many, when I seem to be alone, when things are going bad, do not fear. Faith is the enemy of and the cure for fear. When I fear, I question God's provision, promises, power, plan. So my prayer is Lord increase my faith. For with faith I do not have to know or understand how God will handle the problem, I just know He will. And His way will be for my eternal good and for His glory.
  • There are more of us than them. At this point, I can almost see the servant going back to the wall and counting the enemy. Elisha, are you sure you have the count right. Based upon what I see, there are a lot more of them than there are of us. Sounds like Larry. I begin to count all the reasons why I cannot do what God has called me to; I begin to count all the others who are more qualified or talented; I begin to count my problems and not my blessings. 
  • Lord, open his eyes. Elisha does not try and explain the situation to the servant, he asks God to open the servants spiritual eyes to see. That is our prayers for the lost--open their eyes. That is our prayers for those in doubt--open their eyes. That is our prayer for ourselves--open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus. Here is a simple truth--we need spiritual eyes to see and understand spiritual truth and the only person who can open our eyes is Jesus in and through the Holy Spirit. 
  • The mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire. What a sight to behold! I was in fear of the army of Aram--but then I see the army of the Lord of Hosts, Lord Sabbaoth. That sight drives away all fear, all doubt, all anxiety, all worry. Go back and read again Romans 7-8. In 7:24, Paul asks, "who will set me free from the body of this death?" Then the great news in 8:1--There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Amen! Then is 8:31, Paul asks, "If God is for us, who is against us.?" I am sure that is what the servant asked. I see God's army and then ask--who has an army who can defeat God's army? As I wrote recently, look at the next 8 verses of Romans 8:
    • Who can be against us?
    • Who can bring a charge against us, accuse us?
    • Who can condemn us?
    • Who can separate us from the love of Christ?
    • The answer--no one, no created thing, nothing!
That has to be the feeling we get when our eyes are opened and we see with Christ's eyes. Now what challenge will we face today that can defeat us if we live in the power of Christ? As Paul says, I am convinced that we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus. That is good news.

NOTE--I WILL BE TRAVELING UNTIL THE 30TH. I HOPE TO POST SOME THOUGHTS ALONG THE WAY, BUT IF I MISS A DAY, FORGIVE ME. 

Blessings
Larry

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