Be at Peace and Listen

Read Time: 8 minutes

When I look at the life of a person in the Bible I realize that I see only part of it. For instance Elisha; we see his anointing, a little bit of the training and the miracles. That is all God tells us. I know there is more to his life than that. What we are told is for our learning so that we may walk with Him more perfectly/completely. So, my question is; what is the learning that I need from each account? Overall I learn that God can do a great many different things. He does more than just save Judah and Israel from the attacking neighbors. He is our God that sees, heals, He is our banner/canopy/covering, He is our peace, our shepherd, our righteousness, and He is present--there for us. All of this is to us first, individually, and then to us as a whole in the body of Christ. Elisha was able to stay at peace in situations because he was convinced of God's ability.

When we read God's Word we need to ask ourselves, "What do you want me to learn from this record?" When I am preparing a teaching I ask God, "What do you want me to teach?" As I sat at the feet of Dr. Victor Paul Wierwille while he was teaching I could tell when he would pause and ask God how he should present something or maybe he should just change the direction of the teaching. God is living and real and right here with us. We can look to Him, talk with Him and laugh with Him every waking hour.

 It is real easy for me to say this early in morning when all is quiet and there are not interruptions, my kids are not asking me questions, the dog doesn't want to play, the business phones are not ringing and the TV is not on. Our challenge is to remain at peace and practice His presence when all of the distractions present themselves. One of the examples of this is Elisha.

II Kings 6
:24 And it came to pass after this,
    that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host,
    and went up, and besieged Samaria.
:25 And there was a great famine in Samaria:
    and, behold, they besieged it,
        until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver,
    and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.

The ass's head is a wild cabbage that even the asses wouldn't eat and a cab of dove's dung is grain that was fed to doves only. These had become extremely expensive. In other words--there was no more food in Samaria. It even got to the point that the people had turned to cannibalism. The king then required the head of Elisha and sent a messenger to bring him in but Elisha knew he was coming even before anyone could hear the messenger's footsteps.

:32 But Elisha sat in his house,
    and the elders sat with him;
    and the king sent a man from before him:
    but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders,
        See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head?
        look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door,
        and hold him fast at the door:
        is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?
:33 And while he yet talked with them,
    behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said,
        Behold, this evil is of the LORD;
        what should I wait for the LORD any longer?
7:1 Then Elisha said,
        Hear ye the word of the LORD;
        Thus saith the LORD,
            To morrow about this time
            shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel,
            and two measures of barley for a shekel,
                in the gate of Samaria.

Elisha was able to maintain his peace and listen to God even though God had just told him the king had just sent for him to take his life. Things had gotten pretty bad yet Elisha wasn't distraught and disturbed, he still had the peace of God within him to listen to God.

When I read this I wonder how God is going to relieve the famine in Samaria and take care of the Syrians. I have seen Him do some pretty fantastic things and I know it will be impressive once again. In a situation like this, no matter how much figuring we do we cannot direct God to answer our prayers in any particular way. God tells us to lay before him our needs, not to tell God that he should do this or that for us.

II Kings 7
:3 And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate:
    and they said one to another,
        Why sit we here until we die?
:4     If we say, We will enter into the city,
            then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there:
        and if we sit still here,
            we die also.
        Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians:
        if they save us alive,
            we shall live;
        and if they kill us,
            we shall but die. [this is all logical]
:5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians:
    and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria,
    behold, there was no man there.
:6 For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots,
        and a noise of horses,
        even the noise of a great host:
    and they said one to another,
        Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites,
        and the kings of the Egyptians,
        to come upon us.
:7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight,
        and left their tents,
        and their horses,
        and their asses,
        even the camp as it was,
        and fled for their life.
:8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp,
    they went into one tent,
    and did eat and drink,
    and carried thence silver,
        and gold,
        and raiment,
    and went and hid it;
    and came again,
    and entered into another tent,
    and carried thence also,
    and went and hid it.
:9 Then they said one to another,
        We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings,
            and we hold our peace:
        if we tarry till the morning light,
            some mischief will come upon us:
        now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household.

Wow, the Syrians just fled! They thought they were being attacked by other more powerful armies and just ran. They were so convinced that they were running for their lives that they left all of the provisions they had brought with. They wanted to move as fast as possible.

God knew He wasn't going to get any believing from the King or the majority of the people. In fact the king wanted Elisha dead--thinking God caused all of this. God still needed to protect the remnant of Believers in Samaria and drove the Syrians away.

Elisha was at peace because he trusted God for deliverance, we can be at peace in all situations also.

Isaiah 26
:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,
    whose mind is stayed on thee:
    because he trusteth in thee.
:4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever:
for in the LORD Jehovah is everlasting strength:

John 14
:27   Peace I leave with you,
        my peace I give unto you:
            not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
        Let not your heart be troubled,
        neither let it be afraid.