II Kings 6:16
And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
Suggested Scripture reading – II Kings 6:8-19
Discouragement is a very defeating emotion. Doris had been a Christian for several years. The Lord Jesus was a reality to her. He revealed Himself to her heart every day as she read her Bible and prayed. He meant so much to her. She loved Him. She loved His Word, the Bible, because it told her about Him. Her discouragement, however, was also very real. How could Jesus be so real and close to her when at the same time, so many of her friends and family cared so little about Him? There seemed to be so many people who did not believe in Him. She felt that she was the only one who knew Him.
Gehazi was the servant of the prophet Elisha. In II Kings 6 we read of how the King of Syria had sent an army to fetch Elisha to his palace. That morning Gehazi was shocked when he opened the house and saw hundreds of the Syrian army surrounding him and his master. He felt out numbered and frightened. Elisha, the man of faith, prayed, “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.” (vs.17) The lesson that Gehazi learned was to, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” (vs. 16)
Doris prayed about her discouragement. As she attended church she realized that there were many people who shared her faith in Jesus. She heard of other churches in her area that also preached salvation by believing on Jesus as the Son of God. In this world there will be many who reject the lordship of the Savior but God always has a group of believers. Sometimes they will be even in the darkest of places. Elisha’s master, Elijah, wrestled with this discouragement in I Kings 19:18 where, in his discouragement, he asked God to let him die because of the opposition of the enemies of God. He thought he was the only one who followed the Lord but God told him that even in that dark hour, “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal.” Paul found faithful believers even in “Caesar’s household”. (Philippians 4:22) He told the people of Lystra that “Nevertheless he [God] left not himself without witness.” (Acts 14:17) Satan will discourage you and make you see all those who you think would stand against you and your faith. We must exercise the faith of Elisha and,
Fear not: for they that be with us are more than
they that be with them.
