Читать книгу Beyond the Horizon - Harry A. Renfree - Страница 35

January 29

Have you ever looked at the world through tinted glasses? What do we see when we look out on the world of today? We often, as someone has put it, “let others do our seeing for us.” Television is a prime example of this. Certainly we often see a much–distorted picture of the world in which we live.

In his letter to the Ephesian Christians, the Apostle Paul included this prayer: “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he [God] has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance. . .” (Ephesians 1:18). The eyes of faith, the eyes of the heart and understanding, give us “second sight,” as it were, to look beyond to the eternal world of Almighty God.

The prophet Elisha was a very godly and powerful man, so powerful that Israel’s enemies of the time, the Arameans, sent a strong force to capture him. The force arrived during the night, surrounding the city where Elisha was living. Looking out in the early morning, Elisha’s servant saw an army with horses and chariots. The servant rushed back to the prophet, crying, “What shall we do?” Calmly, Elisha replied: “Don’t be afraid: Those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:15b–16). Then further in verse 17a, Elisha prayed: “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.” The servant’s eyes were opened, and he saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire—the force of the Almighty. Then, as the enemy army closed in on him, Elisha prayed: “Strike these people with blindness” (2 Kings 6:18b). The unseeing enemy army was led the by the prophet to the capital, Samaria, where their sight was restored. The King of Israel, following advice from Elisha, set a banquet table before them instead of killing them and then sent them home—no longer to trouble Israel or Elisha.

Elisha was looking through the eyes of the heart . . . the soul . . . the understanding. Thus we are best served with double vision—to see with our natural eyes the beauties of God’s nature and then to see the rich wonders of the inner life of faith and eternal glory. And we don’t need any colored glasses.