The Bible clearly reveals that we are living in two worlds. There is the world of the physical and natural, and there is the world of the invisible and supernatural. The world of the physical can be seen with the natural eye. The world of the invisible is seen with the spiritual eye. In today’s study we read one of the more memorable accounts in Scripture which emphasizes the importance of seeing things from God’s point of view, with spiritual insight and with faith. Through the eyes of fear and unbelief the situation at Dothan looked hopeless, as we read that the servant of Elisha is terrified by the presence of the army of the enemy. With his physical eyes, he sees only one army. But Elisha prays that his servant might see all of reality, not just the visible but the invisible too. Once the veil of the invisible world is peeled back, Elisha’s servant perceives the fullness of reality, and the reason for his fear no longer exists. Elisha was given eyes of faith to see what the natural eye could not see and to know what the natural mind could not know. To believe the impossible one must first see the invisible. After Elisha prayed for his servant, God opened his eyes to see the invisible.

“Seeing is believing” is the motto of the secular world. “Believing is seeing” is the motto of faith. Holocaust survivor, Corrie Ten Boom is quoted as saying, “Faith sees the invisible and believes the impossible”. God gave Elisha’s servant the ability here to see what the natural man could not see. And when his servant’s eyes were fully open, he not only saw the problem, but he saw the solution.

Now, we are all aware of the inability of our flesh to produce fruit or spiritual gifts. However, we often become so concerned about what God is doing in us that we neglect to see why God is working through us. His work is so that His Son Jesus would be glorified. We have been predestined to be conformed to His image. Just as Jesus is the express image of the Father, we are to be the express image of Jesus.

In Hebrews 11:25-27, it was written about Moses that he “Chose to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible.” Moses endured because he saw Him Who was invisible. In 2 Corinthians 4:18, we read that the reason that the apostle Paul gave for his ability to endure such difficulties and hardships in his ministry and life was because he “look(ed) not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Herein we learn that the way to live a life of being more than a conqueror, in spite of all of the problems, pains, and hardships in life, is by asking God to give us eyes to see the invisible.

“We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7), beloved. When facing overwhelming situations that seem impossible to deal with, may we have God-given, gospel-seeing vision that enables us to see the reality of the invisible, instead of only the realm of the natural. “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:17) Selah