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OPEN YOUR EYES
My oldest grandson has always been attentive to everything around him. Even when he was very young, he would see things that most people miss. He noticed little things like a new set of keys on my husband’s key ring. He would immediately ask if we had a new car, or what that set of keys went to. He noticed when signs changed in stores or restaurants we visited regularly, and he would recognize changes in furniture arrangement in houses of people he visited. He did not miss much; and if we sent him for something, we knew he would find it. Never did we have to tell him to “open his eyes” because he had missed something right in front of him.
We use this expression, “open your eyes” when we are talking about situations that require immediate attention. We use it a lot of our politicians; why can’t they open their eyes and see what is going on? I agree that this question is appropriate, but I think there is another way in which we need to open our eyes.
In Second Kings 6, there is a story about an eye-opening experience that caught everyone by surprise. The king of Syria had declared war on Israel. The prophet, Elisha, discovered where the Syrian army was camped. He provided this information to the king of Israel and warned him to stay clear. The king of Syria discovered that the enemy knew where they were camping, and he assumed one of his own servants had betrayed him. The servants assured him that it was Elisha that had revealed their location.
The king of Syria located Elisha, and he sent his army to surround the city where Elisha was. Elisha’s servant was frightened when he saw the army, and he wanted to know how they were going to get out of this situation. He was sure that the Syrians would overtake them. Elisha reassured him. He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (Second Kings 6:16 ESV). Elisha then prayed to God, and this was his request. “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” God answered Elisha’s prayer and allowed the servant to see that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around the city.
When the Syrians attacked, Elisha prayed again; and this time he asked God to strike the Syrians with blindness. God again answered Elisha’s prayer, and the Syrians were blinded. Elisha then led them to Samaria, and there Elisha prayed for God to open the eyes of the Syrians.
When the king of Israel saw the Syrians, his first thought was to kill them. Elisha instructed them to feed them and give them water. They did as God commanded; and when they had sufficient food, he sent them on their way.
In Ephesians 1, Paul addresses the church of Ephesus, praising them for their faith in Jesus and their love for their brothers and sisters in Christ. He tells them that he is praying for them that they will have the “Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him.” Then he says that he prays that their eyes will be opened. They were not, as the Syrians were, physically blind. He is praying not just for clearness in thinking but for the eyes of their hearts to open. He wants them to understand the heights they can reach when they totally commit to Christ.
We need to open our eyes, both the intellect and the heart. We need to study God’s Word, not just read it. We need to explore the power of prayer. Our hearts need to be totally committed to Christ. We need to take a long hard look at our attitude toward our fellowman, and we need to have a sincere determination to serve God no matter what army surrounds us.
There was an army that surrounded Stephen when he defended the faith in Acts 7. Remember that he said that, as he gazed into heaven, he saw the glory of God with Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He was stoned to death, but His army surrounded him.
Our army surrounds us wherever we go. Our army is God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. When all others fail us, they will be there for us. Like Elisha’s servant, we only need to open our eyes to see the army that surrounds us.
Sandra Oliver