Last time, we considered the mirage…things in our lives that look so promising but prove to be hollow and worthless. Today, let’s look at the other side of this coin, at the things that really matter even though they are unseen.
Israel faced repeated attacks by the king of Syria and his forces. Several times God warned the prophet Elisha what the Syrians were planning. Elisha passed this along to Israel’s king thwarting these plans. As you can imagine, this did not go over well with the king of Syria. He began hunting for Elisha to remove this problem. When he discovered where Elisha was, he sent his chariots, soldiers, and cavalry to surround the city during the night. At last, he had Elisha surrounded.
In the morning, Elisha’s servant got up early to prepare for the day. He looked out the window and was shocked to see the city surrounded. He knew they were here for Elisha. They were surrounded and done for. He called to Elisha and asked “what will we do?” I wonder if the prophet smiled and shook his head a little as he calmly replied, “Relax, we aren’t the ones surrounded.” 2 Kings 6:17 tells us that Elisha then prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” The eyes of the servant were opened and what he saw surprised him. The hills around the city, surrounding the Syrian army, were full of horses and chariots of fire. The Syrians were encircled by the army of angels the Lord had sent. No wonder Elisha was calmly starting his day. God was in control, so everything was good.
These eyes of faith, this heart of trust in the Lord were not unique to Elisha. Hebrews 11:27 says that Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt by faith, not fearing Pharoah’s anger because he “endured as seeing Him who is unseen”. Moses trusted God for His presence, leading, protection and provision as He took them out of slavery in obedience to God’s instructions.
The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:18 that whatever we face and endure, we are to “look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” What a great reminder to stop chasing the mirages that so easily distract us, deceive us, and try to keep our focus on the here and now. Instead, we are to stay focused on things of eternal value. There is indeed a God who created this world, the One to whom we are all accountable. He is the same one who sent His Son to rescue us from the consequences and judgement we face for rebelling against Him. He is holy, righteous, and just. He will judge. He is, however, also gracious and merciful in providing for our deliverance. This world and our lives in it are temporary. We need to focus on what will last into eternity. Everything else is just a mirage.
Why do people see things so differently today? This isn’t new. Elisha and his servant saw things differently as well. That was because they were looking at and for very different things. One was focused on here and now and what he could see. He lived based on how things appear. The other was focused on much bigger things and looked beyond appearances to the way things actually were. This changes everything.
Have you ever noticed that hunters see things in the forest that hikers don’t? Hikers are enjoying the scenery, fresh air, and exercise as they make their way along the paths. Hunters are looking for subtle but sure indications of the presence of deer. Where have they been? Where are they going? What patterns do they follow? What indicates that they have been nearby? The difference is what we are looking for along the way.
May the LORD open our eyes so that we may see things as they are, not merely as they appear to be. God is at work right here, right now. Don’t miss it.