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they’re there, cheering you on. Therefore, lay aside your sin and run with endurance the race set before you. Submission- After the servant saw the hills full of good guys, Elisha prayed that the Lord would now strike the bad guys with blindness. When that happened, Elisha led them to Israel’s capital city of Samaria. Once there, Elisha interceded again that their eyes would be opened. With prayer answered, the Arameans found themselves at their enemy’s headquarters. Compassion- When the king of Israel saw the enemy, “he asked Elisha, ‘Shall I kill them, my father? Shall I kill them?’” (2 Kings 6:21). Why not? What an opportunity. These Arameans have been a thorn in our side for generations. Instead, Elisha advises the king not to kill them, but rather feed them, then send them home. “So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master” (2 Kings 6:23). Abraham Lincoln was once criticized by an associate for his attitude toward his enemies. “Why do you try to make friends of them? You should try to destroy them.” Lincoln gently responded, “Am I not destroying my enemies when I make them my friends?” I doubt these groups became friends on that occasion, though the Arameans did stop raiding them. That’s the sort of thing that happens when we look at matters through God’s perspective. When we open our eyes spiritually, He guides us along Spirit-led paths where we can better minister to those who desperately need Jesus.

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