Open Your Eyes: The Lord Almighty Is in Control
And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” 2 Kings 6:17
Second Kings 6 records one of my favorite Old Testament events. The king of Aram wanted to conquer Israel, but every time he set up an ambush, the king of Israel eluded him with the uncanny finesse of Road Runner. Of course, the king of Aram reacted with the fury of Wile E. Coyote. He even accused his officers of treason.
Actually, God was revealing the king’s plans to Elisha (vv. 10,12). Once the Aramean king realized something supernatural was occurring, he should have packed his armor and gone home. But he was stubborn and angry, so he sent his army to surround Dothan, where Elisha was staying.
In Dothan, Elisha’s servant woke up and saw hundreds of Aramean soldiers outside the city walls. Terrified, he cried, “What shall we do?” (v. 15).
Elisha, on the other hand, was perfectly calm. He asked God to open the servant’s eyes. And immediately the servant saw “the hills full of horses ad chariots of fire all around Elisha” (v. 17). His terror turned to joy.
Imagine how amazing it would be to physically see the angels God sends to protect you, as Elisha and his servant did! But I know God’s heavenly hosts surround me, even though I don’t see them. Psalm 91:11 and Hebrews 1:14 remind me that his angels watch over his people. Many times, however, my eyes are so focused on the problems right outside my city walls that I don’t remember God’s troops stand battle-ready to defend me.
Jeremiah wrote, “O great and powerful God, whose name is Lord Almighty . . . your eyes are open to all the ways of men” (32:19). The prophet is reminding us that our commander in chief is always watching over us—protecting, nurturing, and sometimes disciplining. Our God sees every enemy and every danger. Nothing surprises him, and nothing can thwart the plans he has promised to bring to fulfillment.
Our world is full of turmoil. People all around us are crying out, “What shall we do?” Like Elisha, we can pray that God will open their eyes to see the protection and provision he provides. We can encourage them to turn to God for comfort, guidance, and peace.
We are never outnumbered when the Almighty God is on our side. Each day may our prayer be “Open my eyes so I can see what the Lord Almighty is doing to protect his people, to fulfill his promises, and to bring about his will in this troubled world.”
Dig Deeper
Read 2 Kings 6:8–23. What occurs after Elisha’s servant sees the angelic armies? Why does Elisha pray “open the eyes of these men so they can see”? For whom do you need to pray, “Open their eyes, Lord”?
The Hebrew word translated “open” is paqach, which means, “to observe diligently, to care for, to be vigilant.” Why do you think David uses that word in Psalm 119:18? Do you ask God to open your eyes when you read his Word?
Paqach is also used in Genesis 3:5–7. Why are “opened” eyes both a privilege and a responsibility?
To be encouraged by the lyrics of Clara H. Scott’s hymn “Open My Eyes That I May See,” go to https://hymnary.org/text/open_my_eyes_that_i_may_see.
Denise K. Loock
This devotion is part of our series on Elijah and Elisha.