Just the Usual Invasions

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Scripture

2Kings 13:20   So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year.  21 As a man was being buried, a marauding band was seen and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha; as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he came to life and stood on his feet.

Observation

While Elisha was living the Moabites had not attacked but now, probably a couple of years after his death, they went back to their normal practice. Evidently after his death there was no one with his power in the land and the enemy felt that it was safe to go back to their normal practice.

The usual invasions happened in the spring. This was just a common occurrence, that springtime was the time for war and without the presence of the man of God, the enemies went back to their normal activities and the people of God had to endure the usual invasions.

Application

There will constantly be those who are ready to invade and so the point is not really about the invaders — for there will be the “usual” invasions — but about the spiritual state of the believers. While Elisha was alive there had not been any invasions because his God-received power was well known and experienced. The neighboring enemies feared Elisha and therefore respected God because of his spiritual life. Elisha didn’t spend his time worrying about the usual invaders — he spent his time focused on being a man of God!

The challenge is for us to focus on being the people of God that we have been called to become. If we are being attacked by the usual marauders or invaders, it’s probably because we have not kept our eyes on the goal of becoming like Christ. This is our daily calling — to be like him! We are to be his reflection to the world and the closer that we draw to him, the more powerful the reflection. Elisha had drawn so close to the Lord in life that even in death the power revealed through his remains was a foreshadowing of the resurrection power to be experienced through the life of Christ. His life revealed the power and presence of the coming Messiah.

You and I are called to be reflections of the returning Messiah. His kingdom — already and not yet — on this earth is revealed through you and me. The usual invaders will feel powerless when confronted with Christ. We don’t have to spend time worrying about just the usual invasions when we spend our time drawing closer to and participating in life with our Lord.

Prayer

Lord, draw me close to you. Amen.

Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 15, 2016 at 2:45 AM

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