ODJ: Eyes to See

January 6, 2018 

READ: 2 Kings 6:8-17 

Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” (v.17).

My sister, a forensic scientist, once told me: “There’s no perfect crime. Many evidences are left behind at the crime scene, which the naked eye can’t see.” Blood, even minute quantities that remain after cleanup, can be made to glow by spraying chemicals on affected surfaces.

There’s more to reality than meets the eye.

Elisha’s servant learned this lesson on the morning he and the prophet were surrounded by a foreign army. As far as his eyes could see, thousands of soldiers mounted on powerful warhorses had circled the city (2 Kings 6:15). It was obvious they were grossly outnumbered, or so it seemed.

Elisha assured the young man: “Don’t be afraid! . . . For there are more on our side than on theirs!” (v.16). Then he asked God to help his servant supernaturally see the spiritual forces prepared to defend them, praying, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” Then the young man “saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire” (v.17).

Elisha knew that what we see isn’t all there is. There’s an invisible spiritual realm that is just as real. Scripture speaks about angels as a part of this realm (Psalm 34:7). If we belong to God, we can trust Him to protect us until the moment He draws us to be where He is. As Psalm 91:11 promises, “He will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.”

Are you facing a situation in which the odds seem to be stacked against you? Do you feel alone and helpless? Allow the truths of Scripture to encourage you, and in prayer ask God to help you see things as He does. Then, like Elisha, may you possess eyes that see the unseen and have courage to face your challenges in His strength.

—Poh Fang Chia

365-day plan: Genesis 8:1-22