Behind the Scenes

Based on 2 Kings 4-6, Luke 24:36-53

Something is happening...sometimes we don't know how, but something IS happening! God is always at work behind the scenes! Sometimes, we don't see any evidence of it and we get scared & frustrated. Sometimes, a little unfolds at a time...but either way, somehow, something eventually happens that keeps us in awe of Who God is!

"And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full."

2 Kings 4:2‭-‬4

It was custom in those days to take sons as servants if payment was not able to be made some other way. This widow woman was desperate to keep her sons, and so Elisha told her to fill vessels with oil, and borrow vessels from her neighbors because there would be an overflow! On the scene, there was one pot of oil. That was it. How could one pot fill so many vessels? Behind the scenes, God had an over-abundance waiting! She ended up having more oil than she needed, and her sons were able to stay with her!

"Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son."

2 Kings 4:35‭-‬36

Elisha pulled back the curtain of doubt so many times in his days serving The Lord! Before this above circumstance took place with this son being healed, Elisha had told a woman that she would have a son because she was so faithful & caring to him whenever he came into town. The child ended up getting sick & dying, but Elisha healed him miraculously! On the surface, there was a dead body. Behind the scenes, a miraculous life awaited!

"And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD , I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." 2 Kings 6:15‭-‬17

Sometimes it looks like there's no evidence. The battle is lost. It's something we weren't prepared for, so why even try? Thankfully, Elisha didn't have that negative mentality...because he had GOD! He emphasized to his doubtful servant that behind the scenes of fear, there is a world of faith...if he would just open his eyes! So Elisha prayed for his servant's eyes to be opened to the massive army of God which was greater than the army of the enemy! Finally, Elisha closed the eyes of the enemy, blinding them, pushing them back behind the curtain & behind the scenes! They had no idea what was going on, but they had no choice but to trust the leading of Elisha...who led them all the way to the king, who could have killed them! Mercifully, Elisha let them go free as prisoners of war, and they were not troubled by them anymore. This was probably more of a lesson to God's people to build their faith, and not so much a lesson on defeating the enemy! Just like when Jesus appeared after He rose from the dead was about building faith!

"But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet."

Luke 24:37‭-‬40

Faith is built by trusting God, even when the curtain hasn't been pulled back yet...in this case, Jesus was exposed, but it was hard to believe, even though he was there in front of His disciples. Jesus explained that behind the scars, the flesh, the bones...it's Him! Behind the scenes, it's HIM! Behind our scars & hurting hearts, IT'S HIM we can turn to and trust! Let Him open your eyes! He is there in the pain. He is there as the army greater than the problem we are facing. He might be behind the scenes in fear, but in faith, He is right there!