THE POWER OF GRACE
II Kings 6:18
"So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, 'Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.' And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha."
This is a comical episode in the life of Elisha. (God does have a sense of humor!) The Syrians had come to capture Elisha, but because God made them blind, they did not recognize him. So the man of God said, "Follow me and I will take you to Elisha." They followed him, unaware that he was indeed the person they were looking for. When they got to Samaria, the city of the king of Israel, God opened their eyes, and there they were, surrounded and outnumbered by Israelites. Like an excited little child asking permission to do something, the king said, "Can I kill them? Huh? Can I?" But Elisha had another plan – to treat his enemies with grace. So he fed them and sent them home. If he had killed them, the Syrians would have retaliated. Instead, "the bands of Syrian raiders came no more into the land of Israel" (vs. 23). As the Apostle wrote, "If your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirst, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head" (Romans 12:20). There is power in grace!
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Showing grace to an enemy can accomplish better results than retaliation.
II Kings 6:18
"So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, 'Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.' And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha."
This is a comical episode in the life of Elisha. (God does have a sense of humor!) The Syrians had come to capture Elisha, but because God made them blind, they did not recognize him. So the man of God said, "Follow me and I will take you to Elisha." They followed him, unaware that he was indeed the person they were looking for. When they got to Samaria, the city of the king of Israel, God opened their eyes, and there they were, surrounded and outnumbered by Israelites. Like an excited little child asking permission to do something, the king said, "Can I kill them? Huh? Can I?" But Elisha had another plan – to treat his enemies with grace. So he fed them and sent them home. If he had killed them, the Syrians would have retaliated. Instead, "the bands of Syrian raiders came no more into the land of Israel" (vs. 23). As the Apostle wrote, "If your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirst, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head" (Romans 12:20). There is power in grace!
TODAY'S PRINCIPLE: Showing grace to an enemy can accomplish better results than retaliation.
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