Encore - 986 - Those With Us - 2 Kings 6:16

Hey, it's Mike Henry with Follower of One. In today's podcast, I want you to just think for a moment about those with us. “Those with us” is a phrase that comes from 2 Kings 6:16. “So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’” That's from the New American Standard Bible.   If you remember this story, or if you don't, quickly, what happened was this king north of Israel is contesting Israel. He's at war with Israel, the king of Aram. And he's mad, because Elijah is constantly telling the king of Israel everything that's going on. He thought there was a spy, but there wasn't a spy. It was just the prophet, Elijah, who was being told all of this information and passing it along to the king of Israel.    And so the king of Aram gets angry about that. He sends an army of people to go down to Israel, to kidnap Elijah, and the attendant of Elijah's comes to him and says, “Look at these Lord, look at all these horses and chariots circling the city.”   He's very worried; and this is the famous chariots of fire story. Elijah prayed after he said this verse 16, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Elijah prayed and asked the Lord to show his attendant the army that was around them, and all over the mountain was this- was full. The mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elijah.    Our lesson for today, our thought for today, is about the situations that we face at work. There were days in my career when I would be almost absorbed or overwhelmed with a broken situation, a support mess with a client. I remember one time a vendor and I got into a wrestling match, and we were sent a massive bill that it looked like my company might be responsible to have to pay because I had shot off my mouth.   There are these problems that we face in our workplaces on a regular basis, and maybe you're facing one of those today. And so this message for you and for me is “Look around. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”    Bad things still happen. I'm not saying that the bad things stop happening, that when we come to Jesus, everything just works out. Bad things happen, but those who are with us are more than those who are with them, with the enemy. Our enemy will not win. We may suffer harm, we may suffer loss, but our enemy will not win. And it gives us this perspective that can look beyond our circumstances, and be a peacemaker and one who blesses others; someone who ships grace. We can ship grace into the lives of the people around us. That's our call as marketplace ministers, to be the kind of people who remember that those who are with us are more than those who are with them.    Today, I want you to appropriate the chariots of fire. Think about God, protecting you. His resources are at your disposal and you want to live your life and glorify Him the way I want to. If we want to do that, then we will expect God to provide the resources so that His honor is maintained and that He is glorified.    Let's not mix up our own personal circumstances with everything else, but let's trust to God in them, and let His peace transcend all understanding as it says in Philippians 4. His peace transforms us.   Thank you for being a marketplace minister. Thank you for looking for ways to bring His peace and His joy into our workplaces. That's what makes you a minister of Jesus Christ. Ministry is nothing but helping other people move one notch closer to Jesus. Thank you for being a marketplace minister and check us out at followerofone.org, where you can find a community of us who are working to make God present, make Him visible in our world.   He's already present to make Him visible in our world every day. Thanks very much.