Many times all we can see is the despair right in front of us. Things are not as they should be and seem to only get worse. But like Elisha’s servant, when we have the spiritual eyes to see, we see God’s chariots of fire surrounding us and remember there’s much more going on than simply what meets the naked eye.
It’s tempting to believe the only reality is the one we can see, touch, and handle directly with our own physical senses. And certainly, this is a dimension of reality that should not be denied. The truth of a brick wall remains regardless of our personal feelings about it. This is an objective reality that demands our respect.
At the same time, we allow ourselves to remain shortsighted when this is the only dimension of reality we will accept. For instance, beauty itself points to a transcendent reality not limited to our concrete world. The beauty we see with our eyes also points to a Beauty beyond the physical representation in front of us. It’s not something that can be dissected, only experienced and invited deeper into.
And there are aspects of our spiritual life that function in a similar way. There’s more going on than simply what we see on the surface. This doesn’t deny physical realities, but it sees beyond it as well.
This is helpful to remember particularly during dark days. It’s easy to lose heart when all we see is the immediate pain and suffering right in front of us.
Without denying this reality, we must also learn to pray as Elisha did on behalf of his servant – for our eyes to be opened and to see the many chariots of fire God has surrounding us.
During these dark days and always, pray to the living God for the spiritual eyes to see more of his presence throughout your life and relationships.
