Our Battles Fought God’s Way, Evans Olang

2Kings 7:3-20, “6 For the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses—the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!” 7 Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact—their tents, their horses, and their donkeys—and they fled for their lives”

I love this story; I have shared from it many times. It reminds us of how amazing God is and how He can turn things around and use the least likely, the despised, and the rejected for His glory. The walls of Jericho came tumbling down without a bulldozer or physical battle in place because God reversed things. God gave Gideon victory with only 300 men in Judges 7, this was right after sending over 30 thousand men back home. Samson in Judges 15 found a fresh jawbone of a donkey and slew 1,000 men. How clear it is when the bible says, 1Corinthians 1:26-28, “26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence”. God is not a respecter of man, He is concerned about His name and how to make His name great among us.

How often do we look at things and conclude there is nothing good or constructive expected of them. We think of sophisticated as better; e.g. an electronic device, it is easy to think the expensive one is better than the cheaper one. We can even conclude that the expensive one will last and yes there is some truth to it but not always. The despised can be great to use and even last longer. We see this with the four lepers whom the Lord choses to remind us that it is “not by might or power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts”, Zechariah 4:6.

Now these four lepers were weak, sick, hungry and few in numbers. If we were to get a little understanding of the Syrians, they were feared by the Israelites. The Syrians knew that the only way Israel could be a threat to them was if “… they hired against the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians”. There had to be two kings hired before they could be a threat to them but God knows how best to fight His battles. These four men chose to go to the Syrian camp to surrender hoping in that act, they would be spared, made slaves and given food however as they began to walk there in difficulty, vs. 6. “…the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses—the noise of a great army; so they said to one another”, “Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!” Without changing them, God caused the Syrians to hear a sound of an army, God caused them to believe a lie. God caused them to be terrified of their own imaginations, striking terror upon the spirits of the besiegers. There was not a sword drawn against them. God chose to use four weak men to bring terror to a mighty army. They had their ways of wanting to do things, God chose His way.

“…Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact—their tents, their horses, and their donkeys—and they fled for their lives”, God can when he pleases, dispirit the boldest, and make the stoutest heart to tremble. They that will not fear God, he can make them fear at the shaking of a leaf. Thus God needs no great preparation to destroy the wicked. Though they are many, he can scatter them with a small noise, or shaking of a leaf.

Are you feeling inadequate, weak, fearful etc? then you have the qualifications of what God can use to do great work for His name sake. All you need is to avail yourself and let the Lord chose how to fight His battles for you and through you while you yield to His plans. If God could use these four sick, hungry, weak men, God can use you. Are you available? Blessings Ev

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