Open My Eyes

It was Wednesday, and it seemed like every teacher in our school had some sort of major drama to deal with. By the end of the day, we were exhausted, emotionally drained, and, to be honest, more than a little bit discouraged.

 As I scrambled to grab some food and maybe even a few moments of sweet silence and calm before church, the audio book I had playing as I drove suddenly caught my attention. It was quoting a passage from 2 Kings 6.

The context of the passage is the king of Syria’s frustration over his ineffectual war against Israel. God had been telling Elisha where the Syrian army would be and when, and the king of Syria had understandably grown tired of his top-secret strategies getting leaked to the enemy.

Finally, someone told the king that Elisha was to blame for the leak, and the king dispatched an army, complete with “horses, and chariots, and a great host” (v.14) to surround the city of Dothan, where Elisha was. Here’s what happens next:

“And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! How shall we do?”(v.15)

I love Elisha’s reply to the terrified servant:

“And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.

And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” (vv.16-17)

The passage goes on to describe an amazing turn of events that ends with the entire Syrian army literally walking blindly into the middle of their enemy’s capital city. It’s a great narrative, but what hit me that day was not the end of the story, but the beginning. I was amazed by how much of God’s power had been placed around just these two servants of God.

“They that be with us are more than they that be with them.”

It made me stop and think over my day, with all the stress and worry and hurry and bewilderment. It had washed over me like waves hour after hour, leaving me utterly overwhelmed and exhausted. All the while, I knew God was in control, and was at work in each situation. --But had I stopped to ask God to open my eyes to see His working?

Not once.

There in my car, I took each situation before the Lord. I told God about the people and problems that had hurried me through the day, about my own lack of faith, and my need for encouragement. I thought about my friends and fellow teachers who had also experienced the same type of difficult day and prayed that God would open the eyes of each one of us to see His power that surrounds us as we serve Him.

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Well, that’s my story, but what about yours? Is there some seemingly impossible situation in your life? Is there an area where the enemy seems to surround you on every side? Are you overwhelmed by the way wickedness seems to prevail so easily in this world?

Ask God to open your eyes.

I’m not saying you’ll literally see myriads of fiery chariots on a nearby hillside, but I am saying that God delights to encourage us with a fresh glimpse of just how mighty and all-encompassing His power really is.

For me, it was a series of small victories over the next few days that each seemed to tumble one into the next like dominoes. What began with discouragement and trial ended with rejoicing in the greatness of God.

It’s amazing how merciful God is to encourage us, if only we will ask!

“Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.” 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17