Angels in the Streets: Marketplace Kingdom Season Three Episode 11

There was a time during Elisha’s ministry when Israel was constantly being raided by neighboring kingdoms. Sometimes by small bands of mercenaries and sometimes by entire armies. 2 Kings 6 contains the dramatic story of one such raid and God’s direct intervention. The king of Aram had assembled his army and invaded Israel, targeting a key city just north of the capitol. Strategically, they outnumbered the locals. They were better equipped and victory was a certainty to any logical observer. From the vantage point of a mountain overlooking their encampment, Elisha’s servant saw no good options. He saw the city completely surrounded by infantry, horses and chariots. Despairing, he asked Elisha, “My lord, what shall we do?” “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (2 Kings 6: 16-17) There are times in our own day to day lives when we can be overwhelmed by what crowds and circumstances and public opinion seems to say. All the principles, all the logic, all the strategies in the world just fall short. Even our friends agree. They think we’re crazy. Defeat seems a logical certainty. Just face reality. God must be trying to teach us something. But maybe there’s another reality in play. Maybe God IS interested in teaching us something…by DOING something. Something extraordinary! Maybe, like the prophet’s servant, we need to have our own eyes opened to the reality that “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” In this episode, our conversation centers on this other reality, and on living our daily lives with eyes truly open, experiencing God’s presence here and now, dreaming dreams and seeing visions and angels in the street…right where we are.