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‘Feat not; for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.’
2Ki_6:16
But ‘they that be with us are more than they that be with them.’ Shall we try to reckon up together all that we can count as on our side?
I. First, then, our own friends and relations, those of them, that is, who are like-minded, who are themselves striving to walk with God.—For surely the cases must be very few where the would-be follower of Jesus Christ is quite alone. If ever such a case is found, God Himself is sure to provide specially for it. But most of us have some at least near and dear to us who wish us well. Only let us not desert our true friends for those who are only friends in name and do not really care for us.
II. But we may go beyond our own homes and our own particular friends for help and encouragement.—We may look to other Christians living in the same place. Perhaps you will say, ‘How can they help me?’ Do you not worship together? do you not kneel together at the altar? And is there no strength in that? There is a bond of union between all good neighbours; the very knowledge that there are others treading the same path as ourselves is a source of strength, though it may be we never spoke to them in our lives.
III. And this thought leads us still further.—For what is true of our fellow-Christians in our own neighbourhood is true of all Christians everywhere. Though scattered about all over the world and unknown to one another, yet are we ‘one body in Christ.’ Is it not most cheering and encouraging to think of so many prayers being offered for us—aye, for you and me—that we may be able to conquer our spiritual foes? Is it not most cheering and encouraging to reflect (as surely we may and ought to do) that ‘they that be with us are more than they that be with them?’
IV. Again, there are departed saints.—Those who waged a good warfare themselves and passed away in the faith of Christ. Them may we surely count as our friends and allies. We may not pray to them, but it may be they can pray for us, and if they can, we may be sure they do. I have read somewhere of a beautiful tradition about our first parent Adam: that, watching the events of this world, he mourns over what is bad, and rejoices over what is good; and that, as the number of the elect increases, the robe of glory in which he was created gradually regains its lustre.
V. Then, next, there are the holy angels—those friends of man that were revealed to Elisha and his servant. ‘The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels,’ and ‘the angel of the Lord tarrieth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.’ We cannot see them: neither could Elisha’s servant until his eyes were opened by God, but they were there nevertheless, and no doubt if our eyes could be opened thus, we should find our streets and houses peopled with multitudes of heavenly beings coming in and going out; we should learn then how many we had on our side; that, though Satan’s angels are many and strong, the angels of God are more and stronger, that ‘they that be with us are more than they that be with them.’
VI. But there is One Who is with us, Whom I have purposely left to the last—God.—God the Creator, God the Redeemer, God the Sanctifier: God in heaven and God within us: God before, behind, and on every side of us. But all those different friends and allies that we have numbered already as on our side are all so many proofs that God Himself is with us, all so many instruments and means by which He works. The angels are His messengers: angels and men alike His ministers, His representatives. When any one prays for a fellow-sinner, it is God Who prompts the prayer, it is God Who makes it effectual. It is all His doing from first to last; ‘the help that is done upon earth, He doeth it Himself.’
So there is plenty of encouragement for him who would serve God—‘good measure, pressed down and shaken together and running over.’
—
Rev. F. J. Middlemist.
Illustrations(1) ‘What the servant saw of the defence of Elisha was but a glimpse of what is true of every servant of God in every time of danger. Angels always encamp round the godly. We cannot see spiritual battle lines, the hosts of ministering spirits, but they are round about us. We cannot see Christ Himself beside us, but He is always there, “closer than breathing, nearer than hands and feet.” These are the realest things in the universe. Other things are only shadows, but God and His angels are eternal realities.’
(2) ‘No plots can avail against one whom God is defending. We think the prophet’s servant was needlessly alarmed, and that he showed small faith. But are most of us any better? We get frightened very easily when anything seems to go wrong. We forget the Divine promises and the Divine defence, and say, “Alas! what shall we do?” quite as fearfully as this young man did there at Dothan. We need to think of our own weak faith while we talk about his.’