When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my Lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed.

Devotion based on 2 Kings 6:15-17

“Do something!” We have all heard or maybe even spoken those frantic words. Maybe the doctors and nurses were not moving fast enough to care for our distressed loved one in the hospital. Perhaps the teacher was not acting quickly enough to address an issue to enable us to receive the much-needed scholarship. It could be that the attorney was not fighting hard enough to advocate on our behalf before the judge. Desperation often leads us to plead to anyone who will listen: “Do something!”

The man in today’s Bible verses found himself in a frantic situation. He was in trouble and afraid for his life and cried out, “What shall we do?” Even though this event took place many centuries ago, his question seems to be an American one. We all tend to feel like there is no situation we can’t get ourselves out of. We believe that ‘where there is a will there’s a way.’ Yet sometimes, there is nothing we can do to fix the situation.

The man of God reminds us that often, the best thing we can do is nothing. “What shall we do?” is often the wrong question. A better question is: what can God do? Elisha sought to encourage the man to put his trust in God. And so he prayed.

The man soon learned that God had the situation under control and already had a solution all planned out. So often in life, the best thing for us to do is nothing. Instead, put our trust in God, who has already done all things for us. In sending Jesus to die in our place on the cross, God has removed our sins and has given us the free gift of eternal life. This same God is always with us whether we see it or not.

Prayer: