Opening Our Eyes

II Kings 6.8-17

What a difference there is between what is seen and what is unseen.

This passage of scripture illustrates the walk of two believers. The one who is confident of the "unseen" and the one who is unaware of it. Our walk of faith has three levels to it:

1-What God has done.

Creation Genesis 1.1

Redemption John 3.16

2-What God is going to do.

Come again and bring us to heaven. I Thessalonians 4.13-18

It is the third area where we often struggle-

3-What God is doing now.

How I need to trust Him to obey Him.

How I need to "see" the unseen.

Resting in His promises. Psalm 145.13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all His promisesand loving toward all He has made.

Generally we are good with what God has done. What He is going to do is off in the future. But what He is doing now causes anxiety if we are not operating with faith.

1. Elisha's servant was blinded by looking at what was seen by human eyes.

He saw the army of the Arameans.

Surrounding the city

Horses and Chariots

He saw the opposition well. He saw the enemy clearly.

O my lord what are we going to do?

We aren't going to do anything.

We are looking to our own resources when we ought to be looking to the LORD and His glorious riches. We don't have to trying to get rich for money to be our god. We can have that happen when we are serving Jesus.

Often we are trying figure out some scheme when God has placed the answer in our lap and our hands.

The Bible- His promises!

Oh the scheming we do! Oh the plans we come up with!

Oh what peace we often forfeit!

Oh what needless pain we bear!

All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.

When we look on the surface of things we fail to see the spiritual dimension. This servant of Elisha is a classic example of what a believer who is doing that concludes. 

False conclusions lead to anxiety and stress, they make a person fret when they should be acting. Elisha was full of faith.

He was standing but ready to move.

His servant was frozen in his tracks.

That is one of the differences of a life of faith and a life by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 

2. Elisha's prayer wasn't for help for them. v.17

Imagine getting to such a confidence in God and His Word where you are resting in His promises and you can pray like this?

"O LORD, open his eyes so that he might see."

Elisha saw what was there.

We are often unaware of God's Presence.

Genesis 28:16-17 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the House of God; this is the gate of heaven.” 

Notice Elisha did not try to convince this man of the spiritual reality. He could not have. This had to come from the LORD to this servant's heart and mind.

I cannot convince you what I am seeing this morning. I only pray that your eyes might be opened. I cannot talk you into seeing the unseen, you must have your eyes opened.

When Hudson Taylor launched the China Inland Mission 24 people saw what he saw- the Chinese people dying without a Savior. We have been desensitized today.

There is a belief that everyone is going to heaven no matter how they live.

There are many who believe that what we are doing this morning- meeting together- is optional.

It is interesting Elisha didn't pray for help as we already said. He saw the chariots and horses of fire surrounding him. He was able to intercede for others.

3. Opened Eyes to Spiritual Things Behold Wonderful Things

The hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha!

The Arameans may have had the city surrounded but the LORD had Elisha (and his servant) surrounded.

The king of Aram may have sent down horses from his cavalry but the LORD sent down horses from heaven. Chariots of Fire were around Elisha.

We have them outnumbered! -v.16

How differently things look when your eyes are opened.

Looking at the physical, we are surrounded, we haven't got a chance.

 Looking at the spiritual, they are surrounded, they haven't got a chance.

Help us LORD to see the spiritual realities!

Paul said, "We look at the things which are not seen: they are the eternal things" (II Corinthians 4:18).

 The men of the Old Testament in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews talks about great men of faith. And in referring to the deeds and the exploits of these great men of faith, it said, "And they endured as seeing the invisible" (Hebrews 11:27). What was the secret of their endurance? What was the secret of their power? What was the secret of their ability to go through all of the things that they had to go through and all of the things that they endured? Because they could see beyond just the obvious physical things. They could see the realm of the Spirit. They endured as seeing the invisible.

Men who have spiritual insight actually see so much more. And that is why their lives are so stable and so secure, even though the world around them may be shaking. Yet because they can see spiritually, they are not shaken.

In these last days we need to see with the eyes of faith. We need see the invisible. The LORD has work, much work, good work for us to do.

God help us!