“Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!” The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. [2 Kings 6.16-17]
If only we would see through the eyes of faithfulness to God and all that He is.
Elisha's servant could not see the horses and chariots of fire that far outnumbered the forces sent by the king of Aram to capture Elisha. But, enough about Elisha's servant... Let's focus on Elisha!
To see in the Spirit, as Elisha was seeing, is to see at an altogether different level. To see in the Spirit is to see beyond the realm we know as "reality." How ironic is that? Reality is really not real at all, but instead subject to that which does not fit the description of "reality."
So, reality is subject to the eyes of the beholder. Elisha's reality was that there were "...more on our side than on theirs!” His servant's fearful and hopeless reality was that they were surrounded by an enemy and they were defenseless. In contrast, Elisha's reality naturally made him peaceful and confident.
What do I see? What is my reality?
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. [Matthew 6.33]
Matthew 6.33 was given to us by Jesus Himself so that we might "self-test" what we see as reality. If we don't have everything we need, then our reality is obviously not the Kingdom of God, but instead only the reality of earth. As Jesus clearly demonstrated by His life, faith is the difference between seeing only earthly reality or seeing and living in the reality of heaven (the Kingdom of God).
Where could we stand to see the reality of heaven today? In our health? Our income/job? Our marriage? Our family? Our ministry?
If a problem is present in our reality that causes anxiety and fear, then there exists another spiritual reality where the source of that ruling anxiety and fear is literally dethroned by the reality of heaven. We are tasked then to see it. And, who wouldn't want to see it?
We should find this as no surprise even as we consider something the Apostle Paul wrote:
We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. [2 Corinthians 10.3-5]
Obeying Christ then is key to the 'other reality,' the Kingdom of God. The key to obeying Christ is faith. Faith is activated in our lives when we obey its promptings (including seeing things that are "not" as though they "are"). A list of examples of this is found in the 11th chapter of Hebrews in the Bible.
The "reality" we see and live in then is a choice each of us makes (purposefully or inadvertently). Our reality will affect those around us too, just as Elisha's reality affected his servant (both were rescued).
Father, forgive me for being satisfied in the reality of the earth. Forgive me for not pressing in to see, in the Spirit, the reality of Your Kingdom all around me.
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