“Don’t be afraid… Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
2 Kings 6:16
The story is told in the Old Testament of a time when the prophet Elisha and his servant were surrounded by an enemy army intent on capturing Elisha. When the servant walked out early in the morning and saw what appeared to be a great and powerful military force, he was naturally scared. It seemed that he and Elisha were doomed and there was nothing they could do about it.
Elisha had reassuring words for the servant though. He confidently told him that those that were with them (God’s army) greatly outnumbered their enemies. Elisha went even further and asked God to open the servants eyes so he could actually see what a great army surrounded them. When granted this request, the servant saw that the hills all around them were “full of horses and chariots of fire” (vs. 17) When the enemy did attack, Elisha prayed and God saved them in a supernatural way!
We can learn a lesson from this story. We too may be surrounded by the enemy, we may feel helpless and weak. But our Father in heaven is always with us. Just like Elisha, we too are surrounded by a great host of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1) and are guarded by angels (Psalms 91:11-12). When we pray and trust God, He can change our circumstances in ways that we could never imagine. His mighty army still surrounds us and protects us every day.
Here are a few Bible verses that remind us of this Godly protection and presence: John 10:28-29, 2 Thessalonians 3:2-3, Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm 23:4, and Isaiah 41:10-11.
You can read the fascinating story of Elisha and the Aramean army in 2 Kings 6:8-23.