Open His Eyes
Open His Eyes
Reading: 2 Kings 6-7; 2 Chronicles 20; 1 Timothy 3
16 “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” 17 Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. (2 Kings 6:16-17 NLT)
The much-stronger nation of Aram was at war with backslidden Israel, but God had not forsaken his people. Each time the Aramean army mobilized to attack one of Israel’s cities, God warned the prophet Elisha, and Elisha informed Israel’s king of the danger. When the Arameans realized what was going on, they sent a great army with chariots and horses to surround the little town of Dothan where Elisha was staying.
When Elisha’s servant saw the overwhelming forces arrayed against them, he cried out in fear. Elisha prayed that God would open his eyes to see not only the natural side of the situation, but the power, provision, and protection of God at work in the unseen spiritual realm. Before the day was over, God had used one man of faith to capture and conquer the entire force of the Aramean army. And he did it without bloodshed or the use of force!
Here are some things that occur to me as I think about this story:
• There’s always a part—a very significant part—of the situation that we can’t see until God opens our eyes to the spiritual realm and its realities.
• God is at work in our situation to provide for us and to protect us when we don’t know what to do.
• The best solution is not always the most obvious solution! When the situation seems hopeless, it’s a good idea to ask God to let us see the situation as it really is, from his point of view, then act on that insight.
Prayer:
Father, Thank you for this unusual little story of good in the midst of a lot of bad! Help my friends and me to remember that there is always more to the picture than we can see with our natural eyesight. May we have open eyes to see things as they really are—to see things as you see them. And may we think, plan, and act with the big picture in mind. We trust you for our provision and our protection. May our little stories be an encouragement to others who can only see the dark side of the situation. Please open our eyes. Amen.