Illusions

15And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
2 Kings 6: 15 - 17 NKJV

I heard a interesting comment the other day about how it is that God sees our difficulties.  Does He see our trials as mountains that cannot be moved, or does He see them as simply illustions which have never been there in the first place?  This is a interesting perspective which could go a long way in showing us who God truly is.  Is He simply a overseer who lets us fight our own battles?  No, because that would tell me that God is in no way concerned about my life and how I live it.  Does He pick and choose who He renders assistance to?  No, because that would portray God as playing favorites with those He loves dearly.  So, who is God?  Well, as I have previously written, God is Love {1 John 4:8}.  This is the simplest and most accurate definition of who God truly is.  It also gives us a good idea of just how He sees those difficulties we face each and every day.  Those difficulties which we ourselves might often see as mountains, God sees as merely illusions.  Why do we not see what God sees?  Because our eyes have yet to be opened, that's why.  Consider the servant of Elisha, who saw only enemy encampments around his own camp and rightly was fearful.  What was Elishas response to his servants fears?  "Lord, open his eyes that he may see. {2 Kings 6:17}"  Immediately, his servant saw the situation that God saw, thousands of angels surrounding his servants enemies.  What he didn't see was a situation that was hopeless.  When his eyes were opened, he saw his own situation through the eyes of the Lord.  I believe that this is what God desires to reveal to us about our own life situations.  All we need to do is ask that our eyes be opened.  The deepest desire of God is not to leave his children in fear.  After all, we were never even meant to have a spirit of fear {2 Timothy 1:7, 1 John 4:17}.  However, we continue to fear that which is unknown.  I get it.  I don't think that there is anything wrong at all to have a righteous fear of our Lord, as long as we don't let those fears ruin our image of who He is.  I have a fear out of respect for God, yet I do not fear Him personally.  There is indeed a difference.  One knows Him and loves Him for who He is while the other shrinks back in fear of Him.  My question is this, what do we have to fear from He whose every thought is of our well being? 

7But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have 3refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16: 17 NKJV

There are dozens of books out there on the christian market claiming to be able to help believers with the mountains they face.  How we learn more from our time in the valleys than in struggling over mountains...blah blah blah.  This is all bunk.  Do you need help with that mountain in your life?  Pray that God open your eyes that you may see whats really there.  For what we might see as a mountain, God might see only as an illusion before us.  If we would see our situation through Gods eyes we might see exactly how safe and secure we truly are.  Believe me, He is not above showing us how He sees things.  I've been told that the book of revelation is simply God showing us how He sees our world.  Have you ever wanted to see things through the eyes of Jesus?  Well, ask Him.  After all, it was the apostle Paul who has claimed that it is Christ Jesus who lives in him {Galations 2:20}.  That's right, the man Paul was dead, crucified on the cross with Jesus.  All that remained is Christ in him.  So it is with us.  It is Christ Jesus who we live as today.  All that we feel, do and experience, we do as Christ in us.  Jesus is perfectly capable of opening our eyes that we might see all that He sees in our lives.  Ask Him.  I also believe that he who instigated the lie in the garden has been blinding us for far too long.  We believed the lie we could "be like God. (hint...we already were!)"  We believed the lie that we are seperate from Him.  The lies of the accuser blind us to all which God sees for us.  However, this is but a temporary condition.  For if we ask Him to open our eyes that we may see, He is faithful and righteous to grant us what we desire.  Lord, open their eyes that they might see.

~Scott~