Open His Eyes That He May See
By Donna Keith
The prophet Elisha, successor to Elijah, served primarily in the Northern Kingdom. Several times, when Israel and the Syrians were at war, Elisha saved Israel by warning the king of the plans and locations of the Syrians. After learning of Elisha’s intervention, the king of Syria sent an army to Dothan to capture Elisha. The servant of Elisha was afraid when he saw the Syrian army with its horses and chariots surrounding the city. Elisha knew that the Lord was protecting them. So that his servant would be reassured, Elisha prayed, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see” (ESV). God answered the prayer, and the servant saw the forces the Lord had provided – the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire.
There are many times in our lives that we, as servants of the Lord, should see (i.e., understand, be aware of, perceive, recognize) the presence and provisions of the Lord that can protect us spiritually. We should always see the things God instructs us to understand. Sometimes, however, we fail to see what the Lord intends for us to perceive, and we would do well to pray a prayer like Elisha’s – “Lord, please open my eyes.”
What are some things that are important for us to see or to understand?
God as He really is. We must see all His attributes (e.g., righteousness, justice, mercy, compassion, love, holiness, power) combined into one personality that is divine and almighty. We cannot view Him only as the Judge of sin. Neither can we see Him as a loving Father with no moral restrictions. We must “behold” (from the Greek “see, perceive”) both “the goodness and severity of God” (Rom. 11:22).
Jesus Christ as king, priest, Lord, and example. It is easy to say that we see Jesus as the Messiah, but unless we honor Him as the king of our lives, regularly approach God through Him in prayer, submit totally to Him as Lord, and follow His example in all we do, we do not really see Him. We may be like the first century Jews who failed to see Him as the Messiah even though they witnessed His many signs and miracles. We must recognize Him as “the very image” of God’s substance and nature (Heb. 1:3).
The truth of God’s word. We must see the importance of continuing to learn the word of God, adding knowledge to our faith (2 Pet. 1:5). He revealed His word to us by His Son (Heb. 1:1-2) through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:10-13; 2 Pet. 1:21). There is no other source of His will for us, and we must handle it accurately (2 Tim. 2:15). Being filled with the knowledge of His will is how we can “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord” and bear fruit (Col. 1:9-10). It is how we can remain steadfast in the faith (2 Pet. 3:17-18). We also must grow in knowledge of the word so that we can teach it to others (Heb 5:12-14).
Satan’s devices and the deceitfulness of sin. We must have our eyes open to the devil’s schemes and his trickery. Peter warns us to be vigilant (watchful), because the devil is looking for someone “whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). We can avoid being his victims by putting on the armor of God that Paul describes in Ephesians 6:10-17. The Hebrew writer tells us to beware (see, take heed) and encourage each other so that we will not depart from God because of the deceitfulness of sin (Heb. 3:12-13).
Our own sin and our accountability to God. We must be careful to avoid the “mote-and-beam syndrome” (Matt. 7:3-5) that allows us to see sin in others so easily while we fail to see our own. We must see our accountability to God for how we live our lives and always strive to please Him (Rom. 14:12; Heb. 4:13).
The way of escape from temptation. God has promised to provide a way for us to keep from succumbing to the temptations we face. It is up to us to look for that way. We must open our eyes (take heed) lest we fall (1 Cor. 10:12-13).
God’s care for and protection of His people. God is active in the affairs of mankind. His providence is seen throughout the Bible. He tells us that He cares for us (1 Pet. 5:7), and ultimately all things will work for good for those who love Him (Rom. 8:28). If we trust the Lord and remain faithful, we can be confident that the Lord is ready to protect us from the evil one as surely as He was ready to protect Elisha from the king of Syria.
Those who need help. We must always be aware of opportunities to teach the lost, encourage fellow Christians, and do good for anyone we are able to help (Gal. 6:9-10). When we appear before the judgment seat of Christ, we will be grouped with those on the left and sent away to the place prepared for the devil and his angel, if we have seen those in need and not done what we could to help them (Matt. 25:31-46; 2 Cor. 5:10). May we be like Barnabas who had his eyes open to identify those who needed either physical or spiritual help (Acts 4, 9, 11, 13, 15).
Paul prayed that the eyes of the Ephesian Christians’ hearts (or understanding) would be enlightened (Eph. 1:17-19). He wanted them to know more than just facts. He wanted them to have a true understanding of the things of God so the knowledge would have meaning in their lives. He wanted them to grow in their understanding. We, too, must open our eyes to the illumination of God’s word, see the relevance of the message for our lives, and grow in our ability to apply it consistently and teach it effectively.
May we daily remind ourselves of the importance of having our eyes open to see all that God wants us to see. And may we always have the attitude expressed in the chorus of the hymn by Clara H. Scott titled “Open My Eyes That I May See.”
“Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready, my God, Thy will to see.
Open my eyes; illumine me,
Savior Divine!”