A Different View

Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:17

Better or Worse?
Worse.

Better or Worse?
Better?

One or two?
One.

One, two, or three?
Three.

If you’re a glasses wearer like me,  I’m sure these phrases sound familiar. If not let me explain.

I was prescribed glasses for my vision several years ago. And since then each year when I go in for my checkup, I know the optometrist is going to ask me to read lines of letters on a wall from a distance that I’ll likely have some trouble seeing. My left eye in particular is the culprit. As I make my way down each line the letters start to get blurry and indistinct. As hard as I try I just can’t see them.  It is then that she pulls out that odd looking machine- a phoropter (yes I had to google it..lol) to find the perfect prescription for me eyes.

With each adjustment and flip of the lenses things begin to look better and better.

What I once struggled to see, is now as clear as day!

The letters on the wall didn’t change.

It was how I saw them.

As I was reading over 2 Kings I found a story of someone else whose vision was a bit distorted.

In chapter 6, we find Israel at war with the Arameans. Elisha, a well-known prophet in the Old Testament, however had been warning the king by giving him insight on the Arameans strategy. Of course this infuriated the king of Aram and he wanted to know who was disclosing this information. Once he found out it was Elisha, he sent his team to go after him (vs. 8-13).

The next morning when Elisha’s servant got up and went outside, he saw the troops coming for them and panicked (vs. 15).  I don’t fault him though. Imagine seeing a mob at your front door ready to storm in and devour you. I’d definitely be looking for the quickest escape route possible. However, the servant wasn’t seeing the full picture.

His vision needed some adjustments.

And this is where things get interesting.  Elijah didn’t panic or run. He didn’t give some “feel good” quote to make what they were facing go away. Rather he prayed that his servant’s eyes would be opened. And not just opened, but a view so clear that the servant would be able to see that the presence and protection of God with them was greater than what was going on around them (vs. 17).

I love the way one commentary described it “The clearer sight we have of the sovereignty and power of Heaven, the less we shall fear the troubles of earth.”

Boy do I need that perspective at times. Maybe this is where you find yourself too.

I recognize that we all at some point will go through circumstances that will feel like an army is storming in on us.  However the fear, the doubts, and anxiety that sometimes comes along with it –although very real emotions-can distort the vision that God has for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11).

What if the next time we found ourselves in a troubling situation instead of panic we- like Elisha- asked our Father to open our eyes.  To give us a clearer view and a better perspective of not what is going on around us but a reminder of the one Who is always in our midst.  Remember: “…if God is for us who can ever be against us” (Romans 8:31)!

Sent With Love,