Day 40

More to the Story

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

Psalm 34:8

One of my favorite Old Testament stories is found in the book of 2 Kings, where the king of Aram, an enemy of Israel, sent a great army to surround one of Israel’s cities and destroy God’s prophet Elisha.

Elisha was with his servant when the enemy attacked, and the two of them were surrounded. The servant was terrified and cried out to Elisha. My guess is that he cried out with a sense of sheer panic, saying to Elisha, “Master! What are we going to do?”

Elisha responded with a remarkable statement. He said, “Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16).

Elisha’s servant looked around, but there was no one with them! They were all alone. It was the two of them against an army. Then Elisha prayed a simple prayer for his servant. He prayed: “God, open his eyes so that he may see.”

Then we’re told, “The LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (v. 17). His eyes were opened and—AHA—he suddenly realized that heavenly forces protected them and there had been nothing to fear in the first place.

More to Your Story

There was more to the story. There is always more to the story. There is more to your story. Wherever you are, you are not too far to reach God. Whoever you are in the story of the Prodigal Son—the prodigal, the father, or the older brother—you are not beyond hope for healing and restoration. God is at work all around you.

Take heart that the God of the possible is at work all around you in unseen ways. When you feel alone, may our Father open your heart to His presence. When you see nothing but darkness, may He open your eyes to a glimpse of His ability. When the Distant Country beckons, may He overwhelm you with contentment and joy. And when fear or despair grip your soul, may He fill you with the rest and peace of one protected by His heavenly hand. May you be able to open your eyes and see.

Elisha’s prayer for his servant is my prayer for you today.

God, open her eyes and let her see that though he walked out on her, You will never leave her, and she is not alone.

God, open his eyes so he can see a wife who is cold and hard only because she doesn’t feel safe enough to be vulnerable with him.

God, open his eyes that he may see he is living his life to impress others and glorify himself, which leads only to emptiness.

God, open her eyes and let her see that a beautifully decorated and well-kept house has become more important to her than a joyful and peaceful home.

God, open her eyes so she can see that You are able to work for good, even out of the darkest and most painful circumstances.

God, open his eyes and let him see that You have plans and a purpose for his life—plans for good.

God, open her eyes and let her see that You created her uniquely, specially, a one-of-a-kind masterpiece filled with Your beauty.

God, open her eyes and let her see that the material wealth and possessions of this world will never satisfy.

God, open his eyes and let him see the single mom who lives next door with a young son who doesn’t know how to throw a football.

God, open our eyes and let us see the hungry and the hurting living just a few miles down the road.

God, open our eyes and let us see that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us or our prodigals from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God, open our eyes and let us see the pride that has blinded us, the sin that has hardened us, and the lies that have deceived us.

Lord, we pray for AHA. Awaken us.

My AHA

God, open my eyes and let me see …

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Thank you!
—Kyle Idleman