God is Always a Step Ahead
Read Time: 6 Minutes
Oftentimes we go to God when we have a need; when a
situation has risen that has caused us trouble. We see that frequently in the
Word of God also. People cry unto God after they are in great need. Not that
this is wrong, but there is a better way. How about God keeping us out of
trouble in the first place? God says He will rebuke the devourer for our sakes.
We make the move to acknowledge Him, be thankful to Him and give and He will
take care of us:
Malachi 3
:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse,
that there may be meat in mine
house,
and prove
me now herewith,
saith the LORD
of hosts,
if I will
not open you the windows of heaven,
and pour you out a blessing,
that there
shall not be room enough to receive it.
:11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
and he shall not destroy the fruits
of your ground;
neither shall your vine cast her
fruit before the time in the field,
saith the LORD
of hosts.
:12 And all nations shall call you blessed:
for ye shall be a delightsome land,
saith the LORD
of hosts.
God has already made His move toward us. If we are waiting
on a sign from heaven or some life changing revelation we will miss the mark. It
is our turn to make the move toward God. We acknowledge Him in our tithes and
offerings. He will take care of us when we trust in Him and believe His
promises. Take God at His Word.
In II Kings 6 Syria had started sending bands of raiders
into Israel to steal their riches and bring back slaves. But we see God step in
and divert the problem. He didn't wait until the people cried for help because
Syrians had attacked a household, Elisha was listening to God and believing that
God would take care of His people.
II Kings 6
:8 Then the king of Syria warred against Israel,
and took counsel with his servants, saying,
In such and such a place shall
be my camp.
:9 And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying,
Beware that thou pass not such a
place;
for thither the Syrians are come
down.
How did Elisha know this? Revelation from God--Word of
Knowledge and Word of Wisdom.
:10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him
and warned him of,
and saved himself there,
not once nor twice. [time and time again]
:11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing;
and he called his servants, and said unto them,
Will ye not shew me which of us is
for the king of Israel?
:12 And one of his servants said,
None, my lord, O king:
but Elisha,
the prophet
that is in Israel,
telleth the king of Israel the
words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.
This is great!! God is telling Elisha where the Syrians
were going to be so that the Israelites could avoid the ambushes and
altercations. Now this is a new twist on things. God is always full of
surprises, you never know how He is going to keep us from trouble or help us. It
is not up to us to try to figure it out anyway--it is God's responsibility. This
is a big deal! Wouldn't you much rather have God keep you out of undesirable
situations and circumstances than cry for help after you are there. Think of it
as preventative maintenance. Well, it is available.
The King of Syria starts accusing his own people of spying
because Israel always knew where the Syrian bands were which made the raids
unsuccessful. One of the servants knew what was going on.
:12 And one of his servants said,
None, my lord, O king:
but Elisha,
the prophet
that is in Israel,
telleth the king of Israel the
words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber.
:13 And he said,
Go and spy where he is,
that I may send and fetch him.
And it was told him, saying,
Behold, he is in Dothan.
:14 Therefore sent he thither horses,
and chariots,
and a great host:
and they came by night,
and compassed the city about.
:15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early,
and gone forth,
behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and
chariots.
And his servant said unto him,
Alas, my master! how shall we do?
:16 And he answered,
Fear not: for they that be with
us are more than they that be with them.
:17 And Elisha prayed, and said,
LORD,
I pray thee, 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
Elisha. [I'd hang out with Elisha thank you]
:18 And when they [the Syrians] came down to him,
Elisha prayed unto the LORD,
and said,
Smite this people,
I pray
thee,
with blindness.
And he smote them with blindness according to the word of
Elisha.
This blindness was to the extent that it kept them from
recognizing Elisha and his servants so Elisha could lead them away. It is not
that they were totally blinded and unseeing.
:19 And Elisha said unto them,
This is not the way,
neither is
this the city:
follow me, and I will bring you to
the man whom ye seek.
But he led them to Samaria.
:20 And it came to pass,
when they were come into Samaria,
that Elisha said,
LORD,
open the eyes of these men, that they may see.
And the LORD
opened their eyes,
and they saw;
and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.
:21 And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them,
My father, shall I smite them?
shall I smite them?
:22 And he answered,
Thou shalt not smite them:
wouldest thou smite those
whom thou hast taken captive with
thy sword and with thy bow?
set bread and water before them,
that they
may eat and drink,
and go to
their master.
:23 And he prepared great provision for them:
and when they had eaten and drunk,
he sent them away,
and they went to their master.
So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.
[the profit]
If the king of Israel had killed those Syrians the raids
would not have stopped. But the band was allowed to return to Syria and tell
their king what had happened to them and that they were up against the God of
Israel.
God interceded in this situation before anyone got in
trouble. Because Elisha and a few other people believed God and stood for Him
God spared Israel from the attacks of the adversary.
We have a powerful God who is willing and able to rebuke
the devourer for our sakes. Take God at His Word and claim those promises.
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