OPENING OUR EYES

The Bible is alert to the times when we feel overwhelmed and surrounded by enemies, challenges, and troubles, when the fear is real, and there doesn’t seem to be any reasonable way out. Both Elisha and his servant found themselves in such a situation.

They woke up one morning to find the city of Dothan surrounded by an Aramean army equipped with horses and chariots. To make matters worse, this army had come specifically to capture Elisha. But it was Elisha’s servant who seemed most alarmed.

Elisha himself had a different understanding of the situation.

In answer to his servant’s frantic questions, Elisha asked that God would open his eyes to what Elisha could see—or perhaps it was simply what he could see by faith.

“Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17).

Particularly when we are afraid or overwhelmed, our attention is monopolized by the source of that fear. Just when we need a bigger view, our vision narrows, our focus sharpens on the problem or threat, and the world around us seems darker.

This is when our prayer—and the prayers of our friends—should be for open eyes, a clearer recognition of the power and presence of God in whatever our circumstances. Vision born of faith is one of the antidotes to fear. The miracle experienced by Elisha and his servant was less about rescue than about vision. Elisha already knew that he was on the side with the greater strength. He had seen the fiery “chariots and horsemen of Israel” (2 Kings 2:12), so it was a vision he was able to share with his frightened servant.

After Elisha’s prayer, his servant also saw what was already there.