2 Kings (Another Bible interlude)

I don't know a lot of the background here. I've been reading Kings lately and I just love this.

2 Kings 6, 8-17 (NIV):

8 Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”

9 The man of God [Elisha, a prophet] sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” 10 So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.

11 This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”

12 “None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”

13 “Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.”

14 Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

15 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.

16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

17 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.

Those who are with us are more than those who are with them. I think he lived his life knowing this all the time. The servant gets just one glimpse of Elisha's everyday reality, and it's only his reality because of his relationship with the Lord. I think Elisha lived his life knowing, not in an abstract sense but a real and definite way, that God's protection was always there in greater numbers than the opposition.

The good shepherd (a biblical interlude)

Lately I feel like I've got no forward motion. Like a sailboat on a still and windless sea. Realistically, I actually have PLENTY to be doing - three performances in the next month or so - nothing fancy, but a gig's a gig. I try to do this regularly, but especially in the harder times, all I want to do is press in to the Lord and be in His presence. And He usually shows me what to do. So lately, I've been reading a whole ton in the Bible. Now... look. I know some of the stuff I'm going to say could be old hat, but it's new to me and I revel in it.

For awhile I was reading in John, and of course there's verses 11-12 in chapter 10 that go like this:

I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep. Hired workers are not like the shepherd. They don't own the sheep, and when they see a wolf coming, they run off and leave the sheep. Then the wolf attacks and scatters the flock.

Thing about these verses is they mostly tell you, "Jesus loves you as one of his own, and is not going to leave you if something bad happens." Which is GREAT! But I was reading in 1 Samuel (I'm addicted to it right now), and I found this image of David's shepherding prowess which I really liked, and which (I suppose?) gives an image of what shepherding was like back then (before border collies and things). It's Chapter 17 verses 34-35, and David is trying to explain to Saul that he is, in fact, qualified to go after Goliath:

But David told him (Saul): Your Majesty, I take care of my father's sheep. And when one of them is dragged off by a lion or a bear, I go after it and beat the wild animal until it lets the sheep go. If the wild animal turns and attacks me, I grab it by the throat and kill it.

Yeah, you might get snatched up by a lion, but guess what? Jesus is coming for you. Relentlessly, singlemindedly, and fervently. And he's going to beat the crap out of the lion what snatched you away from his Father's flock. WITH HIS BARE HANDS.

Booyah. Take that, Bear Grylls.

This post is relevant to my music? Yep. I just couldn't be a crazy music lady without God and His relentless lion-destroying love for me, and I never was a crazy music lady until He convinced me to start making use of the gifts He gave me. It's a good reminder... that I'm not doing this music thing for myself, really. I'm doing it to give glory to what God has done in me. Not something I want to lose focus of.