Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” 2 Kings 16:17a
The last few days, our devotions were in prayer for a young boy who was kidnapped. By God’s grace, he has been returned to his family. There is one more thing I wanted to say: even the most vigilant of parents must confess that there have been times their children managed to escape their watchful eyes. And with school shootings in safe and secure neighborhoods, no one is completely protected.
The reality is, our loved ones are safe, because God watches over us. Psalm 91:11 says: “For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” That passage is substantiated by an event in the sixteenth chapter of the Old Testament book of 2 Kings. The king of Syria was having difficulty conducting his war against Israel. He was frustrated that his plans seemed to be known to the leaders. Suspecting a spy in his ranks, he was told, “Nobody here is sharing your secrets. It’s the prophet Elisha who is sharing your plans with the King of Israel.” Wishing to put an end to the divinely inspired breach in security, Syria’s king sent a large contingent to arrest the prophet.
The king’s soldiers arrived at night and quietly surrounded the city where Elisha was staying. Scripture says the prophet’s servant came to Elisha and said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” Unperturbed, Elisha tried to calm his servant by saying something like: “Don’t worry. We’ve got more fighting for us than there are against us.” Elisha’s servant didn’t calm down.
Elisha asked the Lord to open the eyes of his servant. The Lord granted the prophet’s prayer and Scripture records, “ the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
So, what’s the point? I wonder how many times God and His heaven-sent representatives have protected our children? How many times have we been delayed by a fraction of a second and delivered from an accident that never happened? How many times has the benevolent hand of our heavenly Father, unseen, unfelt, and unknown, kept us safe? Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, it is the kind of thing He would do.
It opens up a whole new area of prayer, doesn’t it?
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I give thanks for Your preservation. I rejoice in the accidents that never happened, the sicknesses that were never contracted, the disasters I’ve never experienced, the pains I’ve never felt. For my Savior, Your holy angels, and Your ongoing care, I give thanks today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Today's Bible Readings: Job 25-27 Matthew 12:24-50
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