[Wednesday's Devotional] - How's your eyesight?

These last few years my work life has been a battle-ground, as I'm sure you have now gathered. It has been important for me to look past the difficulties and focus on why God placed me there, for I know beyond doubt that he did. I have been learning to use my spiritual eyesight more, for one who is naturally short-sighted this can be quite a revelation.

I came across this story one lunchtime down by the riverside and it made me laugh out loud. It's God's wonderful humour. When the Arameans made battle plans against Israel, God gave Elisha the ability to 'see' those plans and he was therefore able to warn the king of Israel. This frustrated the Arameans and the king ordered for Elisha to be captured, as the king sent his army with horses and chariots to surround the city, the Lord had plans of his own! 

"When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. 'Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?' the servant asked. 'Don't be afraid,' the prophet answered. 'Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' And Elisha prayed, 'Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.' 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 6:15-17 [NIV]

Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees.

The story continues that as the Aramean army advanced towards Elisha he prayed, 'O Lord, please make them blind'. So the Lord struck them with blindness. Then Elisha amusingly told the army 'You have come the wrong way! This is not the right city! follow me and I will take you to the man you are looking for' and he led them to the city of Samaria. Elisha prayed, 'O Lord, now open their eyes and let them see'. The Lord opened their eyes and they realised they were in the middle of their enemy's camp in Samaria, the capital of Israel! When the king of Israel saw them, he shouted to Elisha, 'Shall I kill them?'.  Elisha replied 'Of course not, you didn't capture them, God did, give them food and drink and send them back home.' After these events, unsurprisingly, the Aramean raiders stayed away from Israel. (2 Kings 6:8-22 - Paraphrase)

If you don't see God working in your life your problem may be your spiritual eyesight, not God's power – as Elisha's servant did, may you know that you are surrounded in the heavenly realms and protected by Chariots of Fire.

Chariots of Fire - Vangelis

Dawn Milward