Be Thou My Vision...

“When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots
of fire all around Elisha.” - 2 Kings 6:15-17

What do you do when it seems as though you’re surrounded? Too often, I act like the servant of Elisha in this story. Problems come up, circumstances seem overwhelming, I feel like I’m surrounded, and I cry out, “Oh no! What shall we do?!” Have you been there?

The real problem in this story is a vision problem. That servant in this story may well have had 20/20 vision in his eyes, but the eyes of his heart, his spirit, were blinded to the reality of the situation. Did you notice that Elisha wasn’t anxious at all in this situation? He simply told his servant, “Chill out. It’s not what it seems. Trust God.” (loose paraphrase)

Elisha prayed a quick prayer and his servant was able to see what Elisha had seen all along, and what was really true. Yes, there was a problem, but God already had it taken care of! Elisha’s comment helps me on so many levels as I apply it to my own faith and walk with God… “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” How many times do I forget that!? What an amazing revelation it must have been for that servant as he was granted the gift of seeing those hills full of the fiery horses and chariots of the army of God!

The saying says, ‘appearances can be deceiving.’ Our enemy, the devil, is a deceiver, and many times uses appearances to keep us from seeing the Truth of God. Paul echoes the same thought in 2 Cor. 4… “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen.” Where are your eyes fixed today? Whether you can physically see the armies of heaven surrounding you isn’t the issue. Does your heart know that God sees and knows the situations of your life and has the power and the answers?

I’m reminded of the words of the old hymn, “Be Thou My Vision”:

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. Thou my best  Thought, by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.


Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word; I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord; Thou my great Father, I Thy true son; Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.


Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight; Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight; Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower: Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.


High King of Heaven, my victory won, May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

I hope that as you spend time living life with your heavenly Father, even in the midst of difficult circumstances, you will remember that, when God is your vision you can know that “those who are with us are more than those who are with them…!”