Eyes Of Faith - Elisha

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 6:17

Nearly every war movie ever made has two contrasting characters. There’s the new guy who is unsure of what to do, badly frightened, and prone to cowering in a corner when things get rough. And there’s the grizzled combat veteran who is wired to stand up courageously in the fiercest battle.

By the end of the movie, the new guy has fought side by side with the veteran in several close scrapes and usually becomes a competent soldier.

A man who has been through a lot in life and has seen how God responds to a faithful heart has a great resource. He can walk in faith and courage and encourage others to do the same.

The prophet Elisha and his unnamed servant did this.

The king of Syria had sent his army to the city of Dothan and surrounded it during the night. When Elisha’s servant woke up the next morning, the first thing he saw was that the enemy’s chariots, horses, and soldiers had surrounded them.

It isn’t hard to understand that a sense of panic might set in under such circumstances. Naturally, this fearful young man ran directly to his master, who was a man of faith.

Elisha knew that prayer was just what was needed. He asked God to open the servant’s eyes to see his power at work in their situation so that he could know that the battle was already won.

The servant lacked the experience to realize something that Elisha already understood. The situations he faced—even a potentially overwhelming enemy attack—were just a chance for God to demonstrate his glorious power.

You may know a fellow believer who is going through a crisis of faith right now. If so, do as Elisha did and pray that his eyes of faith would be opened so he could focus on God’s power at work in his life.