KILLING AN ENEMY WITH KINDNESS

Image result for clip art of people eating          Elisha has prayed and his servant sees the hills full of horses and chariots of fire.  He realizes that there is another presence and it represents the angel armies and there is more of them then what he has already seen the first time.  

The enemy advances toward Elisha and he again PRAYS.  "Strike these people with blindness."  God performs as He has been asked.  Elisha goes to the army and tells them they are on the wrong road and if they will follow him, he will lead them to the man they are looking for.  How one leads a blind army, only God!  He leads them to Samaria and he asks the Lord to open their eyes.  Their eyes are open and they realize they are in Samaria...enemy territory!  The king of Israel meets them and Elisha.  He asks Elisha if he should have them killed.  Note Elisha's suggestion:  "Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master."  A great feast is prepared, they eat and drink, and then are sent back to their master.  "So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel's territory."

I recognize that this is certainly a strange option for dealing with an "enemy", but I do understand the truth of Jesus in Matthew 5:43-45, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I tell you: Love your enemies and PRAY for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.  He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."  

 I recall a very difficult situation where lying and slander were going on among a group of "friends" regarding my family personally in a church environment. There was not any 
physical persecution, but there was gossip and verbal abuse going on.  My pastor, (my deceased husband), encouraged me so many times during the mini-crisis to PRAY and to trust God for the outcome. All glory to the Lord, I was able to be obedient and I could walk away, not bound in bitterness and an unforgiving spirit.  My kindness was praying rather than retaliation.  PRAYER is always the best option for God to reveal a strategy for dealing with an enemy or a "frienemy" and the strategy, in most cases, has already been given in Scripture. PRAYER is always the greater weapon. Obedience is always the Best option!  Forever learning!  In process, still!  #IHAVETHREESONS



 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

REHEARSALS

Image
  I wonder how much time do I give to rehearsing God's goodness and how He has intervened in my life to "save" me from myself?  How alike the Israelites I can be, complaining about what goes wrong, how it affects me, and what I lack.  As a Christ follower, I have the Indwelling Holy Spirit to give me remembrance NOT of my complaining and grumbling, but of a recall of God's faithfulness to me.  It is recorded in Psalms 78 and 106 that " They forgot what He had done, the wonder He had shown them", "They did not remember His power--the day He redeemed them from the oppressor...", "They did not remember Your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.", "But they soon forgot what He had done and did not wait for His counsel.", and "They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt...". Contrast with me, God's remembrance: Ps. 106:44-46, "But He took note of their distress
Read more

LAST THOUGHT ON LEVITICUS

Image
  For the first time in many years, I have enjoyed reading through Leviticus.  I have skipped it several times and read on.  This go round, I have sought to focus on some thoughts, words, phrases, or practices that God had instituted for the Israelites and their physical and spiritual well-being.  The Ten Commandments and many of the laws have real practical value for society and the Christ follower today.  The Lord God gave them a standard, a commandment, which is applicable for today, "You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees.  I am the Lord (Jehovah) your God (Elohim).  Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them.  I am the LORD."  Leviticus 18:4-5   My concluding thought from Leviticus is this admonition or commandment:  " You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own."  Leviticus 20:26.  Even though spoken to Israel, the truth of being holy is directe
Read more

ORDER AND DESIGN

Image
    I do not have OCD, but I do confess that I like order in my home.  Now that I am retired, I am not so much into spotless, but "picked up" and "kinda" clean. (Do not open drawers and closets!) I might go to more trouble when I know I am having company, but otherwise, I remove the clutter that seems to reproduce on its own.   When I began the reading in Genesis in January, I was again taken with the with the orderliness and design of God in creation, and have seen Him use Moses and Aaron to ORDERLY marshal the Israelites to move out of Egypt. How do you move some 600+ males and that is not even wives and children? Animals also?  They have been one year+ out of Egypt, and have been camped at Mt. Sinai where God has given them laws for their spiritual and physical welfare.  God gives Moses the design of the Tabernacle and Moses is able to bring together the workers to complete the Tabernacle.   The clip art at the top is the positioning of the 12 Tribes and the
Read more