How to Really, Truly See

There’s a really cool story in 2 Kings 6 that I was thinking about this morning. There was this prophet called Elisha with skills that surpassed Jason Bourne and James Bond combined when it came to espionage. A couple thousand years before phones could be tapped or bugs could be planted, Elisha could listen in on the conversations the King of Syria was having in his own bedroom from miles and miles away.

And that was a useful skill because the king of Syria was waging war against Israel. So he’d tell his servants, “We’re going to camp here” or “This is the plan” and then Elisha would tell the king of Israel: “Watch out! Don’t go this way — the Syrians are gonna camp there…”

{Pretty cool gift, huh?}

After questioning which one of his men was a spy, the Syrian king eventually found out that Elisha was to blame, so he sent his servants to go capture him.

Sneaking out in the night, horses, chariots and a big old army, they surround the city where Elisha and his servant were staying. Elisha’s servant woke up the next morning, saw the army surrounding the city and got a little scared.

Probably more than a little scared.

But Elisha encouraged him with these words (words I love to cling to.) “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

And then Elisha prayed for the servant: “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.”

God opens the servant’s eyes, and he sees that the mountain is full of horses and chariots of fire, all around Elisha.

{Afterwards, Elisha prays for the Lord to strike the army with blindness. The Lord does, and then Elisha tells them they’re going the wrong way in the wrong city, and offers to lead them to the man they’re after. He leads them to Samaria and the king of Israel prepares a feast for them (instead of killing them) and sends them back to Syria.

And how funny must that have been, (to everyone but the king) when the army rolled back into Syria and said, “Well we didn’t find the guy, but dang those Israelites throw down a banquet with skill!”}

The concept of the difference between seeing and truly perceiving is so rich in this story. Elisha’s servant wasn’t blind when Elisha prayed that God would enable him to see. There was a different type of seeing — a different perception of the situation that Elisha wanted his servant to have.

When the servant got that new perspective, he probably went from despair to elation in a matter of moments.

Similarly, Jesus often spoke to the Pharisees about the fact that they were truly blind. Though none of them was blind in the literal sense, yet still, they did not see and perceive the truth about who Jesus was when He walked among them, taught and healed right before their eyes.

The longer I walk with the Lord, the more often I come to the realization that if I feel like things are a mess in my own life, it’s usually because I have the wrong perspective. I might not be blind, but I don’t really see.

I call the things looming in front of me mountains because from my perspective, that’s what they look like. But when I give them over to God, trust Him, and ask for His eyes to see, He turns the mountains into molehills… or sometimes just shows me that they were molehills all along.

A lot of people asked Jesus for healing. And a lot of people asked Jesus to help them see. I have this picture in my mind of Bartimaeus — blind and sitting on the side of a road with orange-tinted dirt.

Jesus hears him calling, stands still, and commands for him to be called.

I wonder why He didn’t just walk over to Bartimaeus, but I think perhaps He wanted us all to understand this:

A man who can’t see can still find his way to Jesus.

I picture it in my mind, Bartimaeus jumping up and throwing his cloak off. When he hears that Jesus is calling for him, he runs to Him.

Jesus asks what he wants Him to do for him, and I imagine a peaceful smile, a man who can’t see turning his face toward Jesus. Bartimaeus asks for his sight.

Jesus says “Go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Bartimaeus immediately begins to see, and then follows Jesus on that orange-dirt road. Seeing it all for the first time.

I think there are a lot of situations in my life when I don’t see Jesus, even though He is right in front of me. Maybe it’s the same for you?

But what if we decided to throw aside our hindrances? What if we decided to run to Him — whichever direction we hear His voice coming from?

If we turn our faces to Him and ask “Lord, help me see” — isn’t that a prayer He answers?

Perhaps I’d recognize that the discouraging circumstances weighing me down are actually opportunities for Him to do something amazing in my life, something that will bring Him more glory.

I might see the tight financial situations we’ve been in as moments where He has shown us exactly who He is — the God who can and will provide. I’ve learned so much practical, life-enriching stuff while learning to stick to a tight budget. I can also see how God has expanded my capacity, and strengthened my faith muscles, when I flexed them with trust day by day.

And today, though a few things in my life feel “up in the air” and I don’t feel completely settled, and though I feel like I’m waiting for answers, somehow I get that sense again — He is at work. He is broadening my spiritual shoulders, preparing me for what’s to come.

Like the lessons in my year at the Pawn Shop — ones that prepared me for the mission field in a way nothing else could — if I ask for help to see my circumstances, I am sure I will see purpose, hope, an opportunity to grow, and a chance to be a part of something glorious.

How does life look to you at the moment? Do you need help seeing? Turn your face toward the One who can open your eyes. Ask for His help to see.

I’m confident you’ll see things differently. I’m confident it will be glorious.

xCC