What Do You See?

Ever since I read the Bible story of the Aramean army going after Elisha because the prophet was able to constantly thwart the strategic plans of the King of Aram against Israel, I have been intrigued. I recognized immediately that we cannot truly see our reality unless God gives us sight to perceive beyond our natural circumstances.

Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:15-17

We must be very careful about what we think we see as our perspective may be distorted. Sometimes Jesus is in the middle of healing us and what we see is not the total truth because we are looking through a lens that is still fogged up with the hurts of past experiences. That is why it is often said, “Hurting people hurt people.” We need to wait for God to completely heal us so that we can see clearly.

Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.” Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly. And He sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.” Mark 8:23-26

Before we get our healing Jesus may have to take us out of the “village.” That village may be our family, friends, neighborhood, church, or even our country. Sometimes it is our “village” that will keep us blind to what is truly going on around us. Jesus led this blind man out of the village and put His spit on his eyes. But, the man was not instantly healed. When he looked up he saw men like trees walking around. What if he had run off satisfied that he could see something although not with clarity? That is what many of us do. God is in the process of transforming us and instead of staying still and waiting for our restoration to be complete, we come out of the procedure before it is over. Therefore, we cannot properly grasp God’s vision. This man had to be intentional. He stood there as Jesus laid His hands on his eyes again. Consequently, his sight was restored. Jesus sent him home and told him not to go back to the village. When we can finally see clearly, we should not go back to the surroundings that kept us in blindness.

In Jeremiah 1, the Lord asked the young prophet twice, “What do you see?” When he responded the first time, God told him that he had seen well and that He was watching over His word to perform it. I want God to tell me I have seen well. But for that to happen, I cannot let my perspective be skewed by my own feelings and opinions. Oswald Chambers said, “Many people have turned back because they are afraid to look at things from God's perspective. The greatest spiritual crisis comes when a person has to move a little farther on in his faith than the beliefs he has already accepted.”

Many of us need a Damascus Road experience. The uncompromising Pharisee, Saul, was on his way to persecute followers of Christ in Damascus, when he had an encounter with Jesus. Saul fell to the ground and after he got up having had that experience with the risen Lord, his eyes were open, but he could not see. Later, Jesus sent Ananias to lay hands on Saul so that something like scales would fall off his eyes so that he could see and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Before, Saul had eyes, but could not see, but after He met Jesus there was a reconstruction of his spiritual eyes. When Ananias touched him and he was filled with the Holy Spirit, He could then see from God’s perspective. That resulted in a life change which included a name change to Paul. He understood His need to live according to the Holy Spirit and encouraged other believers to do so in order to please God.

For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:5-8

Are we living by the flesh? We must be careful that we do not have our minds set on things of the flesh that may look Godly, but are not of God. Apostle Peter implores us to be of sober mind and to be on the alert, because the devil is as a roaring lion seeking whom to devour. (See 1 Peter 5:8). We need to make sure that we have the Lord standing by our side to give us strength in these perilous times, so that He will deliver us from the mouth of the lion. Then we will see the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. (See Revelations 5:5). And because of Him we are more than conquerors. We will look on with our eyes and see the recompense of the wicked, if we have made the Lord, our refuge, and the Most High, our dwelling place. (See Psalms 91:8-9)

We must understand that what we see is dependent on our positioning in Christ We should not hesitate to go where He takes us and we should stand by His side, while we take our refuge in Him and abide in Him. We cannot look for worldly strategies to help us navigate the blinding storms, instead we must look to the Lord so that we can see clearly to perceive our true reality in Him.