Houston Devotional//Surrounded by the Sufficiency of God

He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:16-17, ESV

In 2 Kings 6, the king of Aram is at war against Israel. He sends the Aramean army on a mission to ambush and seize the prophet Elisha for informing the king of Israel of his battle plans. Upon discovering the location of Elisha in Dothan, under the cover of night, he sent a great army with many chariots and horses and surrounded the city. In 2 King 6:15, Elisha’s servant wakes up early and goes outside. Shockingly, he sees the mighty army surrounding them. Afraid, he asks Elisha what they will do.

Many of us can only imagine the fear of being surrounded by superior military forces with no way to defeat them or escape. However, some life-threatening situations may cause us to feel surrounded and trapped with no obvious solution to the problem. We can also relate to the fear and panic felt by Elisha’s servant, and our cry to God may be, “What will I do now?”

As believers, even in our faithfulness, we often panic in a crisis, question God’s goodness, try to tap into our abilities, and seek solutions from others before considering the sufficiency of God available to us. Elisha reminds his servant and us that the sufficiency of God constantly surrounds us. In other words, God is enough and can handle our needs according to his will.

I am struck by Elisha’s calm demeanor in Verse 16 when he responds by saying not to be afraid. Then, he confidently reassures his servant that the army he sees is nowhere close to the protection from God surrounding them. Elisha is a prophet but not a man who has never feared anything. He is a man who knows the God that he serves is always at work in an invisible. In Verse 17, Elisha prays and asks the Lord God to open the eyes of the servant. God answered by opening the servants’ eyes to see things through God’s lens. He could see that God had them surrounded by his sufficiency in the form of a hill full of horses and chariots of fire.

What lesson can we learn from 2 King 6: 16:17?

When life’s unexpected circumstances overwhelm us, remember that the God of Elisha is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Fear is a natural human response, but the believer can move to “do not fear” because of the sufficiency of God made available to us through Jesus Christ.

  • We have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who is always with us.
  • We can access God through Jesus Christ and take our needs directly to him.
  • We have the Scripture to encourage, guide, and teach us.
  • We have other believers to walk alongside us during the journey.

On November 1, 2023, I woke up early and discovered that I had lost hearing in my left ear. I was fearful of this unknown condition. Immediately, I called my doctor. It was considered a medical emergency, and I was evaluated by an ENT specialist and audiologist the next day. The results of the testing revealed a condition called Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss. The cause was unknown. Treatment and the wait for a response to the medication began.

I am a registered nurse, so considering possible scenarios is what I started doing through my research and in my mind. I needed time for God to move me from fear to “do not fear.” I leaned into prayer and the Scripture for peace, encouragement, and strength while alone with God and me. I thanked God that I still had hearing in my right ear. I shifted my focus from myself to how I could use the experience as a witness for Christ. God opened my eyes, and I could see all the new possibilities through him. The sufficiency of God surrounded me!

As of this writing, some of the hearing in my left ear has returned, and I praise God for it! But, whatever the outcome, God’s grace is still sufficient.

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever.  As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore. Psalm 125: 1-2, ESV

Talulah Ruger, RN, MSN (MACE, 2006) is a retired oncology nurse, Bible teacher, motivational speaker, and writer. Talulah is the CEO and founder of Talulah Ruger Ministries, a teaching ministry to inspire and motivate people 50 and older to use their faith experience and life stories to positively influence the now generation and the next through intergenerational mentoring. She is also an instructor for the Opened Bible Academy.