SEEING THE REALITIES OF GOD

2 Kings 6:1-7:20; Acts 15:36-16:15; Psalm 142:1-7; Proverbs 17:24-25

“When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. ‘Oh, sir, what will we do now?’ the young man cried to Elisha. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ Elisha told him. ‘For there are more on our side than on theirs!’ Then Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!’ The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.”

“That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us!’ So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.”

“Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.”

I wish I had a more positive vision. I would like to be a blessed one who sees the good in everything and everyone, but that, alas, is not my nature. By both personality and profession, I am just too analytical to be so positive. Everything has angles, weaknesses or fallacies in logic that ultimately may lead to disappointment and frustration. Those are the things I tend to see first, and that perspective sometimes stunts my growth (or, at any rate, my willingness to grow).

Gehazi had the same problem, apparently. His vision was so focused on the worldly and the tangible he could not see the provision of God which surrounded him until Elisha prayed for his eyes to be opened. Only then did Gehazi see the holy warriors and chariots of fire sent to protect him and fight for Israel in the coming battle. Only when his eyes were opened to the realities of the Lord did Gehazi see his salvation.

Paul had no such problem. His vision was true, and truly inspired by God. It also was daunting and would have discouraged a lesser disciple. Traveling all the way to Macedonia was no easy feat in the best of times. Doing so as an apostle of the Living Christ based solely on one night’s dream or vision of what might be was decidedly less so. Stoning, imprisonment, lashings and rejection all awaited Paul and his brothers as they followed the Lord’s call. But they never wavered. They never let fear rule them or limit their vision. Instead, they fully bought into the adventure of life and put themselves at risk specifically so they would (there was no doubt of it in their minds) experience the power and provision of Christ in ever more new and unanticipated ways.

Seeing the potential of the Spirit is a gift that takes a lifetime to develop. Each time our vision is tested and we look to Jesus instead of to our limitations, we lay claim to a bit more of the gift. Only Christ is able to rise above the bounds of this world and yet so immerse Himself in it that His Spirit can break through to light up our darkest hours and overcome our worst trials. In Him, our potential truly is unlimited. All we have to do is see Him in ourselves.

A sensible person really does keep his or her vision glued to wisdom, because only true wisdom opens the door to our hearts and allows the Spirit into our lives. Only the wise are smart enough to follow the Spirit’s urgings when they make no logical sense. March seven times around Jericho, blow a few horns and expect the city’s walls to fall? Get serious! Walking all the way through – not around or over or on top of – the Red Sea to escape the world’s most powerful army? Who are you kidding, Lord? Rise from the dead and escape a sealed tomb? Not hardly, not in this life. But that’s probably the real point today. Jesus did not limit Himself to the things or powers of this life. There’s no reason for us to do so, either. Very little of eternal consequence can be accomplished on our own in our own strength. However, if we are living in Christ and allowing His Spirit to live through us, all bets are off. We can do all things through Him. At the very least, we can do all things with Him. If we love and obey Jesus, we have the promise of both His presence and power whenever we need them, even in those times we don’t know what we need.