Beyond The Visible
2nd Kings 6:15-17
In 2nd Kings we find the awesome account of Elisha, his servant, and the Army of Aram. At this time, after years of battling, the king of Aram was desperately trying to ambush the Israelites. But every time he tried to set a trap, someone would inform Israel's king, thus allowing them to avoid the ambush. This greatly enraged the king, and when he learned that it was Elisha disclosing his plans, he demanded his army to go to Dothan and capture the prophet. This is where the story takes off. We read, "
When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. 'Oh, my Lord, what shall we do?' the servant asked. 'Don't be afraid,' the prophet answered. 'Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' And Elisha prayed, 'O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.' Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (2nd Kings 6:15-17)." Now, I don't fault Elisha's servant for being frightened at the sight of the Aramean army. I can tell you from experience that when you have enemy troops outside your camp destined on doing harm to you, no matter how large or small the numbers, it is a frightening and quite sobering experience. Nor do I fault his servant for not seeing God's army of angels surrounding them, for God had not yet opened his eyes. However, I do fault him for believing that just because he couldn't see God's hand at work that God's hand wasn't at work. This is a situation that many of us find ourselves in; especially when we are faced with hard times, when the world appears to be warring against us. It is at those moments, when we are frightened and weak, that we allow the visible to dictate our faith in the invisible God. It is at those times that we ourselves cry out "Oh, my Lord, what shall we do?" Peter found himself in very similar situation when he was drawn between the power of the visible winds and the power of the invisible God (Matthew 14:30). However, just as Elisha instilled faith in his servant by showing him what lied just beyond the visible, we too need to stand firmly in the assurance that God is always in control, and always working in our defense. My prayer is that in your days of trouble, those times when God seems to be farthest away, that you do not allow the visible to dictate your faith. Rather, remember that just beyond the visible we have an invisible God that will not fail us; a God who is always watching, always ready, and always in control. Again, when you are overwhelmed and life becomes more than you can handle, remember your God who is faithfully working out His plan just beyond the visible.
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Michael D'Urbano
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