Farsighted Living

“Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” 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

There is always more to a situation than meets the eye.

On this morning, when Elisha and his servant—unarmed and unprotected—woke up to find themselves surrounded by a well-armed and determined enemy, what met the eye was overwhelming. Elisha’s servant was in a panic. But Elisha could already see what his servant could not. He could see the spiritual reinforcements that were already in place. His servant was blind to the spiritual realities. So Elisha prayed that God would open his servant’s eyes to see what Elisha could see, and the Lord did just that.

The enemy army headed right toward Elisha and his servant. And Elisha—who had just prayed that his servant’s eyes would be opened—now prayed that his enemy’s eyes would be blinded. The enemy became deluded, and Elisha was able to lead them directly into the hands of the king of Israel. Instead of killing or even capturing them, Elisha counseled the king to feed the captives and send them home. This accomplished what all the defeats on the battlefield could not: “After that, the Aramean raiders stayed away from the land of Israel” (2 Kings 6:23).

The Lord promises that he will show us the reality that is hidden to our physical senses. We will be able to make decisions based on faith, not on fear. We will be able to act on reality, not on illusion. When we see past the visible, we will make unusual choices. We will take actions, or refrain from actions, that circumstances seem to dictate, and we will win battles that otherwise are not winnable.

Open my eyes, Lord, and let me see the abundance of your provision on my behalf.

We can walk without fear, full of hope and courage and strength to do His will, waiting for the endless good which He is always giving as fast as He can get us able to take it in.

George Macdonald(1824–1905), Scottish author and minister