“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 2:17)
Have you ever felt that you are too worried about people or things outside of your immediate control – that perhaps you don’t trust God the way that the Word informs you that you should? Jesus told us not to worry about tomorrow. When I worry it is usually NOW, not tomorrow or about the future.
Looking at our focal text, we can see an immediate worry of Gehazi, Elisha’s assistant who began to fear for his life. The King of Aram (present day Syria) sent an army to capture Elisha the prophet because he knew that he was pre-warning Israel about his looming military tactics, which were always known in advance, spoiling Aram’s military strategies. Elisha prayed that his servant’s eyes would be opened so that he could spiritually discern God’s protection surrounding them.
Can this apply to me as a father, aware that my daughter is driving in the BC Rockies when I spot a freak snow storm in her path? These are the kind of worries I have had, as a father. It doesn’t help that I am a weather nut with three apps on all my devices. I check BC weather daily, in two cities where my son (my eldest of 4 children) and my youngest of three daughters live. Having lost a brother in a car accident due to a drunk driver, I can worry about my family’s safety often.
The apostle Paul wrote an oft-quoted Bible verse which comforts many people in trials: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV)
The thought may come to my mind, “Yeah, but Paul was single and did not have children to be concerned about!” Then the Holy Spirit brings to my mind that Paul endured an intense hurricane for a time and suffered shipwreck, yet Paul took to calling on the Lord in prayer. He was assured of his safety because he discerned from the Lord whom He prayed to, that no one would come to harm on the ship if they stayed aboard, including the non-Christian crew.
The gospel record records that Jesus also comforted His disciples who were frightened during a raging storm on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus questioned their faith, yet commanded the sea to become still and brought the boat to safety. The disciples were amazed and claimed that Jesus had sovereign powers over creation: “even the winds and the seas obey Him” (see Mathew 8:27; Mark 4:41; Luke 8:22-25; also John 1:3, Colossians 1:16).
In situations where I worry, I’ve realised that all I can do is make the phone calls of warning as best I can, and help to assist as far as possible. The most important thing I can do is go to my Bible on my knees, and lay out God’s promises and pray over my favourite verses such as “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9 ESV) More importantly, I am reminded that Jesus is Sovereign and one in power with the Father: “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17 ESV).
I realise that I must seek the Lord, admit my need for godliness – for His indwelling Spirit, submit to Him in obedience — and further submit my worries to Him, making my requests to him to protect my children, secondly to mitigate my terrifying spiritual weakness. I can trust my Lord because “in him all things hold together”.
Like the apostles in the storm, I rely on His Sovereign powers of control when I admit that I am powerless. I have come to realise that this is one of the ways that God builds my faith and develops my relationship with Him, through my anxious suffering.
My eldest daughter said kindly over lunch after church recently, “Dad, it’s out of your control. Counsel can help alleviate your stress.” Hmm, I agree. I’ve always told Christin that she is wise with her deliberations, that wisdom is one of her gifts.
I’ve utilised Christian psychological counsel often over the years, seeking to find a mean calibration of spiritual concern, which admittedly can shift to extreme take-charge now when I occasionally might get shaken up like Elisha’s servant during “unseen” risk deliberations. Psychological balance while trusting Christ helps me reason better — I’m not perfect yet — and hopefully pray more objectively while staying calm, understanding that God is the first father of my children. Jesus really understands behavioural worry. He said: “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matthew 6:34 NLT) I can’t agree more.