Open your eyes!

2 Kings 6:8-23

By: Ysrael De la Cruz

You have heard it say or read it in the Bible that we are commanded to walk or live by faith and not by sight.(2 Corinthians 5:7).  I do not think we quite understand what this means.  In the same book the apostle Paul reminded church people to fix their eyes on what is unseen. 2 Cor.4:18

So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

How can we possibly focus on something we cannot see? It is easy to walk or live by what we see and experience with our senses. This is how most of us live (by sight rather than faith). This is what we know, this is what makes sense to us.  However, lots of people are blind to the spiritual realm.  They can relate to Steven Strange “There is no such thing as spirit”

However, we need to open our eyes to the spirit realm because truly it influences everything you see and experience in the world.  You are alive today because your body has a spirit.  The body cannot live without the spirit.  The battles and issues you are dealing with are touched or influenced by the spirit realm;  You and I must be aware; we must open our eyes to what is unseen.  Why?

–You access the spirit realm every time you pray.  You pray to God the Father who is unseen (Matt.6:6, 18) for something that is seen.

The king of Syria was at war with Israel (the northern kingdom); he planned to set up his camp to surprise the army of Israel, but he could never trap the Israelites.  God intervened.

2 Kings 6:8-23

The king thought someone in his army was on enemy side. (v.11) “Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”

(v.12) It was the prophet Elisha, God revealed to Elisha what the Syrian king plan to do.

The king of Syria (Aram) sent people to seize the prophet Elisha (the man of God). V.13-15

The Assyrian army surrounded the city where the prophet Elisha was.  Elisha’s servant got up and went out and discovered the city was surrounded.

Elisha was in danger of being taken by the enemy.  Elisha’s servant feared for their lives.  “What are we going to do?” (v.15)

Fear kicked in the servant because he saw the size of the army.  This threat was beyond their ability to handle.  The servant is walking by sight not by faith and this is why he is afraid.  He feared for his life.

Elisha told his servant not to be afraid. “Do not be afraid, those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” (v.16)

Then he prayed “O Lord open his eyes so he may see.” (v17)

God gave this servant a glimpse into the spiritual realm.  God opened his eyes and he saw hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Elisha was right, his allies were more than his enemies.  God was protecting them, and the servant did not know it.

The Bible describes angels as ministering spirits send to serve those who will inherit salvation. (Hebrews 1:14)

God showed Elisha’s servant the spiritual realm which made Elisha unafraid regarding the situation.

Elisha prayed for God to blind the enemy and the Lord answered. (v.18)  Then Elisha led them to Samaria.  God gave the enemies into the hands of Elisha

Then Elisha prayed for God to open their eyes (v.20)

The king of Israel thought it would be a great idea to kill the Assyrian soldiers, but Elisha told him not to kill those who have been captured.

He fed the enemies and sent them back home (v.23)

Twice in the story Elisha prayed for God to open eyes.  First for his servant to open his eyes to see into the spiritual and then for his enemies to open their eyes since they had been blinded.

Do you need to pray for God to open your eyes to the unseen? Are you still living  just by what you see and not for what is unseen?

Elisha was not afraid of the danger he faced because he could see well spiritually speaking.  He lived by faith and not what sight. He wasn’t blind to the spiritual.  He was always aware of God’s presence surrounding him.  He knew God is sovereign and always present.

It is so dangerous to be blind spiritually because you constantly live in fear of what you see around you or what you hear.

Spiritually blinded people live by sight and not by faith.

When you are aware of God’s presence in your life; you live with confidence; nothing intimidates you because those who are with you are more than those against you. This was what kept Elisha calm amid danger.

David could say: Even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me. Ps.23

When we are constantly aware of God’s presence in our lives fear is gone.

Fear overwhelms you or paralyzes you because you are blind to the spiritual.  You are not aware of his presence; you forget how Great our God is.  If God is for us who can come against us? Nobody!

Lord open our eyes to see that you are always with us and so we stop living in fear