Against all odds

We can all have bad days, hard days, days that could be considered a waste of makeup! Days when we think it’s just us against the world. Fortunately for us most of the time that’s just a figure of speech!

I take heart from Elisha though. Here he was just one man, with a servant surrounded by an army that had been terrorising Israel. And who were they after? Elisha, himself! I’m with the servant here – I’d be terrified! I’d be thinking it was game over. And yet Elisha says something I think is extraordinary.

“Don’t worry about it – there are more on our side than on their side.” (2 Kings 6:16 MSG)

Say what??!!

And then He prays.

At that moment I’d be praying something clever like that God would smite the army or transport me somewhere safe…fast.

But Elisha prays for his servant, “O God, open his eyes and let him see.” (2 Kings 6:16 MSG)

Elisha prays that his servant would see that God’s solution was already in place.

I love how the Message Bible puts it “The eyes of the young man were opened and he saw. A wonder! The whole mountainside full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha!” 

To see what Elisha could already see, to see what the servant could then see. Wow – that would definitely give me assurance and confidence. It would encourage me. And affirm that God has a different perspective than we do. That He sees what we cannot. Our natural, physical eyes are so limited. Even the eyes of our mind are limited to what we perceive and interpret. But the eyes of our heart – well when they are opened we see the armies of God!

It reminds me of my favourite quote from the Little Prince “Here is my secret. It is very simple. It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; What is essential is invisible to the eye.“

To me, this is what Elisha prayed. It is what Paul prayed

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.” (Ephesians 1:18)

I remember the worship song “Open the eyes of my heart Lord”.

“Open the eyes of my heart Lord,

Open the Eyes of my heart

I want to see you.”

This is my prayer today – that my eyes be opened to see God. To see what He already has put in place in my life.