There was a small child who was terrified of thunderstorms. After saying his bedtime prayer, she expressed her fears to her dad because they were experiencing a very loud storm at the moment.
The child’s dad, with a voice filled with reassurance, said, “Do not worry; God is ever present with you.”
The child responded, “I know, but it’s times like these I need a God with some flesh!”
Perhaps you can relate to this child; maybe there have been times in your life when you needed a God to be tangible. I want to assure you that even though God might not be seen, He is an ever-present help in our distress. How we need to open our eyes.
In 2 Kings chapter 6, we witness Elisha’s helper in a similar situation. Elisha’s helper leaves the house and witnesses a tremendous earthly army at their doorstep. He panics. “Elisha, what can the two of us do?” I imagine him asking.
While this was an instance from history, it speaks timeless truth. We can as quickly be swept away with fear and panic when we only use our physical eyes. Elisha reassures his helper and reminds him that those with them are greater in number. Elisha prays and asks God to open his helper’s spiritual eyes.
Understand, it wasn’t Elisha’s helper’s physical eyes that needed to be opened. God wanted this young man to see the solution, and only his spiritual eyes would allow him to see what God had already prepared. Scripture states that God answered Elisha’s prayer, and Elisha’s helper, in a moment of awe and wonder, saw God’s mighty army encamped around them in far greater numbers than the earthly Syrian army that was at their door. God brought a resolution before Elisha’s helper could see it. Scripture reminds us to fix our eyes not on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Civilla D. Martin wrote one of my favorite hymns from 1904: “Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you; Beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you.” Scripture agrees with Martin’s thought: God will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings, you will find refuge.
Elisha was receptive to the spirit and learned to open his spiritual eyes. I venture to say that he had learned much from his mentor, Elijah, regarding faith and serving God. We must also learn to open our spiritual eyes — the eyes of faith. When we do, we can better navigate life by relying solely on God’s grace and direction.
Today, it is more important than ever for Christians to have their spiritual eyes open to the truth. Our enemy relies on our perception of the physical world as “the truth” to maintain deception and lead us astray from our intended path.
So, if you need a tangible God, understand this truth: If you are in Christ Jesus, God has brought your resolution before you even knew you needed it. Ask God to open your spiritual sight so you can witness His ever-present faithfulness.
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