Coffee With The Lord

I read a wonderful, encouraging Old Testament story today during my time of “Coffee with the Lord!”

The king of Aram had been at war with Israel. Time and again he had attempted to attack God’s people. Elisha, the prophet, had supernaturally informed Israel’s king about these planned attacks in specific terms and thus they had been able to avoid them. The report of this had come to the king of Aram. As a result, he decided to lay siege to the city where Elisha lived and capture him. Elisha’s servant got up one morning and there they were … an huge army with horses and chariots surrounding the city!

He panicked with fear and cried out, “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?!”

“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet calmly answered, “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them!” And then Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened his servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (2 Kings 6.8-17 NIV)

Some of you today – my “Coffee with the Lord” friends – are facing frightening, in fact terrifying challenges today! It seems like “the enemy” has surrounded you and is laying siege to you! You don’t know what to do or where to turn for help. You’re living on the edge of panic!

My prayer today? “Oh Lord, open their eyes! Help them to see what is unseen to their physical eyes, but real to spiritual eyes, opened by God! Help them to see that ‘Greater is He that is in them, than he that is in the world!’ (1 John 4.4) and ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?! … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us!’” (Romans 8:31-32, 37).

Yes, that’s my prayer… “Lord, open my eyes!” And when I’m about to panic about a situation in my life, may I hear the sweet whisper of my Intercessor, “OPEN HIS EYES!”

When you home protection system fails… When your neighbors never seem to notice the things that are happening in your neighborhood… When you fear that your Doberman will act like Lassie on tranquilizers and not a guard dog… When your handgun malfunctions when confronting an intruder… etc.

Then it’s time to depend on the truth of this verse…

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

In fact… You’re safer with His presence and protection than all of those things anyway!  There’re OK I guess – don’t neglect doing what you can to protect yourself, your family and your property – but be sure… BE VERY SURE TO PUT EVERYTHING IN THE LORD’S HANDS EVERY DAY!

Good things happen to kind and generous people!  Go ahead and do what is right and good and let the Lord surprise you with His blessing!!

Those were the thoughts that entered my mind as I read the full story of the Shunammite woman and Elisha the prophet this week…  (You’ve got to read it… it’s amazing!  (2 Kings 4.8-37 and then 8.1-6)

This wonderful lady opened her home to the prophet.  She periodically prepared and provided a wonderful meal for him whenever He and his servant would stop by her home.  She even, in a wonderful expression of generosity and kindness, appealed to her husband to prepare a “prophet’s chamber” for them (a hotel-like room for him and his servant to stay and refresh themselves for a few days).

Her generosity and kindness did not go unnoticed!  One day Elisha had his servant approach her and ask this question, “You have gone to all this trouble for us.  Now what can be done for you?”  He offered to do several things on her behalf but she deferred from asking for ANYTHING in return (which is just the way this kind of person acts).

The prophet’s servant reminded the prophet that she had not been able to have a child.  The prophet, prompted by the Holy Spirit, prophesied she would have a son in about a year.  And to her and her husband’s delight it came to pass!  But one day, out in the fields, the son fell sick and died.  She was devastated and sent and called for the prophet.  In bitter grief she told the prophet what had happened.  Elisha hurried to their home, went up into the room where the dead child was and miraculously, the child was raised from the dead.

Story not over…

Elisha warned the family of a coming famine and urged them to go away for a while so they would be able to survive.  They went to the land of the Philistines for seven long years.  Afterward they returned to Israel and made an appointment to appeal to the king to get their land back.  Just as they arrived, it happened that Gehazi, the servant of the prophet, happened to be meeting with the king and at his request and was reporting some of the wonderful things God had done through the ministry of the prophet.  Just as he was telling the king about the very occurrence of raising the Shunammite’s son back to life, who should appear for her appointment with the king but the Shunammite!!  Gehazi exclaimed, “This is the woman, my king, and this is her son Elisha brought back to life!”  The king’s response?  He said, “Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now!”

Wow!!  God causes good things to happen to kind and generous people!  Reminds me of a well-known and quoted Biblical principle: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)  Lesson one more time… Good things happen to kind and generous people!  Go ahead and do what is right and good and let the Lord surprise you with His blessing!!