Are you using your God-given eyesight?

A couple of weeks ago, I visited the optician for my annual eye check. Thankfully there was nothing untoward and nothing eventful happened.

(Unlike two years ago, when I inadvertently found myself caught up in a ‘light through the cracks‘ story, which you can read about here and here!)

Nonetheless, I found myself pondering …

The intricacies of vision are incredible. Our eyes can observe tiny details and vast expanses; the wonders of creation; the beauty in people and places around us. But our natural eyesight will only ever enable us to see the appearance of things at surface level.

If we are Christians, who are filled with the Holy Spirit, then God also gives us spiritual eyesight. And when we use our spiritual eyes, we can see what is happening beyond our circumstances. We can look into the unseen spiritual realm. We can observe where Jesus is at work on behalf of his people.

With all that is going on in our world at the moment – be it globally, regionally, nationally, or in our communities, churches and families – we will never fully grasp what is happening if we fail to use our spiritual eyes alongside our natural eyes.

***

In the Bible, there is a beautiful story about the prophet Elisha and his young servant, which is recorded for us in 2 Kings 6: 8-23.

Surrounded by a vast enemy army, Elisha’s servant is terrified. His natural eyes are telling him that there are only two of them – and that they are surrounded, on all sides, by soldiers who are armed and ready to fight.

Elisha looks at his servant and realises he’s not using his spiritual eyes. “Don’t be afraid,” he tells him, “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

Then Elisha prays. He simply says, “Oh Lord, please open his [the servant’s] eyes that he may see.” And the Lord immediately opens the servant’s eyes – and he sees the spiritual reality.

“Behold,” the Bible tells us, “the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

In other words, the servant suddenly sees with his spiritual eyes – and everything changes.

There weren’t just a few horses and chariots surrounding him and Elisha. The mountain was full of them. It was packed to capacity.

And in this moment, he realises that although, in the natural realm, there are only two of them, in the spiritual realm, a vast army of the heavenly host is right there, on hand, to help them.  

***

We live in a world that is multi-dimensional. The unseen spiritual world is just as real as the tangible natural world – and woe betide us if we don’t get to grips with this reality.

It means that, when something happens, we need to be asking what is going on in the spiritual realm, as well as what is going on in the natural realm. We need to pray, asking the Lord for eyes to see, just as Elisha did on behalf of his servant.  

If we have the Holy Spirit within us, by his power, he can help us see what we otherwise would not be able to see. It’s why the apostle Paul says, “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.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)

The more we grasp these unseen things, the more our faith will grow; the more we will hold out hope for the seemingly impossible; and the more we will join with Elisha in recognising that, “those who are with us are more than those who are with them”.

***

How about you? Do you find it easy or difficult to see with your spiritual eyes?

If you find it easy, what top tips do you have for training them to see as easily as your natural eyes?

And if you find it difficult, why don’t you start by praying the same prayer as Elisha did, on behalf of his servant: “Oh Lord, please open my eyes that I may see!”

As ever, constructive comments are welcome below!

(Please note: This is my ‘thought for the month’ reflection for October. (You can find all my ‘thought for the month’ reflections here.)

Image from Bacila Vlad via Unsplash