God's in Control in Seemingly Unrelated Events

Do you ever just wonder about events in your life and how they come together into one seamless stream of occurrences? I do. I am amazed at how God works to bring things about; how many people are involved; how many situations; and no one knows what's going on and what the other events and people are doing. But somehow they come together and produce an event in a person's life, but no one knows how. And at the same time there are other billions, trillions, gazillion other so-called unrelated events going on at the same time that will come together at just the right time and place to accomplish what God wants to do in one occurrence. Just blows my mind.

I'm reading in 2 Kings right now and there is a situation going on where this is evident. It is in chapters 6 and 7 and involves Elisha the prophet, Ben-Hadad (king of Aram), the king of Israel, and an attendant on whom the king of Israel leaned for support.

We read that the king of Aram had laid siege on Samaria. [king did this for totally different purposes than what eventually transpired] "...This brought on a terrible famine...One day the king of Israel was walking along the city wall [Didn't know a woman was going to tell him what was going on in her life]. A woman cried out, "help! Your majesty!"[She didn't know the king was going to walk on the roof at just that time]...The king said "Tell me your story."...She said, " This woman came to me and said, 'Give up your son and we'll have him for today's supper; tomorrow we'll eat my son.' So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I told her, 'Your turn--bring your son so we can have him for supper.' But she had hidden her son away." When the king heard the woman's story he ripped apart his robe...."God do his worst to me--and more--if Elisha son of Shaphat still has a head on his shoulders at this day's end."...Elisha was sitting at home, the elders sitting with him [Didn't know what had transpired with the king of Israel and the woman]. The king had already dispatched the executioner...While [Elisha] was giving instructions, the king showed up, accusing, "This trouble is directly from God! And what's next: I'm fed up with God!" [Oh,oh, now the plot thickens. It's not really smart to say these things, but haven't we all a time or two?]

"Elisha said, "Listen! God's word! The famine's over. This time tomorrow food will be plentiful...The attendant on whom the king leaned for support said to the Holy Man. "You expect us to believe that? Trapdoors opening in the sky and food tumbling out?" [He doesn't know God, does he? But again, haven't we all questioned God before and will in the future?]

"You'll watch it with your own eyes," he said, "but you will not eat so much as a mouthful!" [Did Elisha know how this would occur? We aren't told that he did.]

"It happened that four lepers were sitting just outside the city gate. [Apparently oblivious to what had just occurred with Elisha, king of Israel and his attendant.] They said to one another, "What are we doing sitting here at death's door?...let's take our chances in the camp of Aram...If they receive us we'll live, if they kill us we'll die. We've got nothing to lose."...When they got to the edge of the cam, surprise! Not a man in the camp! [God] had made the army of Aram hear the sound of horses and a might army on the march. Panicked, they ran [totally unrelated to all that was going on with the king of Israel, Elisha, the attendant, and the four lepers, but God was orchestrating all of it]...These four lepers entered the camp...Finally they said to one another, "We shouldn't be doing this! This is a day of good news and we're making it into a private party!...Let's go tell the news to the king's [Israel's] palace." [The lepers had no idea what this would do to the people in creating a mob.]

"The people then looted the camp of Aram. Food prices dropped overnight...God's word to the letter! The king ordered his attendant, the one he leaned on for support, to be in charge of the city gate. [Had no idea what was about to happen] The people, turned into a mob, poured through the gate, trampling him to death. It was exactly what the Holy Man [Elisha] had said when the king had come to him."

"Every word of the Holy Man to the king--"A handful of meal for a sheckel, two handfuls of grain for a shekel this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria," with the attendant's sarcastic reply to the Holy Man, "You expect us to believe that? Trapdoors opening in the sky and food tumbling out?" followed by the response, "You'll watch it with your own eyes, but you won't eat so much as a mouthful"--proved true. The final stroke came when the people trampled the man to death at the city gate."

Appears to be totally unrelated instances, but God knew!!! If we could just remember, rely on, and trust that God is at work all the time. And some time it will involve us. We just don't have any idea.

One of my favorite passages that shows God's provision and how much he takes care of me is earlier in chapter 6 verses 14-17. It says: "Then he dispatched horses and chariots, an impressive fighting force. They came by night and surrounded the city. Early in the morning a servant of the Holy Man [Elisha] got up and went out. Surprise! Horses and chariots surrounding the city! The young man exclaimed, "Oh, master! What shall we do?" He said, "Don't worry about it--there are more on our side than on their side." Then Elisha prayed, "O God, open his eyes and let him see." The eyes of the young man were opened and he saw. A wonder! The whole mountainside full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha!"

Lord, please help me to remember this and trust you completely!!!!