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WEEKLY
Volume 1 Number 46
15 April 2007
The Eyes of Faith
(Message delivered by Pr Hien Nguyen at the
Sunday Worship Service, 2 pm, April 1, 2007)
Text:
2 Kings 6:8-23
How about our reactions when
we encounter big problems or troubles? It is so important for us to have
the eyes of faith based on God’s Word so that we may not be frightened
before the enemies of our souls (Satan, sin, self, worldliness) as well
as before our difficulties and trials.
In the same situation, we can
see the different reactions of the one who has his eyes of faith in the
Lord while the other does not. Two persons who suffer the same cancer
and undergo the same treatment in the same hospital, the one who has his
eyes of faith in the Lord is able to see His higher hand in the
incident, then trust in Him and commit everything to Him, knowing that
God is able to make all things work together for good to him; as a
result, he has peace, hope, and rest in the Lord, while the other who
does not have the eyes of faith in the Lord only sees his incurable
illness and is so frightened by his hopeless future.
From the Bible text today, we
also see the different reactions between the prophet Elisha and his
servant to the enemies. May God help us have the eyes of faith in Him so
that we may have peace and hope in all situations.
The Background of the
Ministry of the Prophet Elisha
No one can have the eyes of
faith in the Lord overnight. Christian faith is a living faith and it is
growing. David could not have faced the challenge of the giant Goliath
if he had not experienced God’s protection and deliverance in his early
shepherding life.
Elisha left his farming job
when he was called and followed the prophet Elijah and ministered to him
(1 Kings 19:16-21). He must have admired and desired to have the same
spirit of Elijah, so when Elijah said, “Ask what I shall do for thee,
before I be taken away from thee,” and Elisha did not ask for
anything except for Elijah’s spirit, saying, “I pray thee, let a
double portion of thy spirit be upon me” (2 Kings 2:9), and he was
granted when he saw a chariot of fire, and horses of fire taking Elijah
up into heaven.
Nowadays, many Christians come
to the Lord and ask for a lot of things, and sadly they do not thirst
for or desire to have the same Spirit of the Lord, “If ye then, being
evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more
shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”
(Luke 11:13). Many others ask for the Holy Spirit but without a right
and submissive heart, just desire to have power to do their own will, so
God never answers them.
The prophet Elisha served the
LORD in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reigns of Jehoram,
Jehu, Jehoahaz, and Joash. His fruitful ministry was to present the Word
of God through prophecy, to anoint kings, to give advice, to train
disciples, and to perform several miracles. His holy life was recognised
by the woman in Shunem, who said to her husband, “Behold now, I
perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us
continually” (2 Kings 4:9), and his integrity without self-seeking
motives can be seen when he refused to receive the gifts from Naaman,
commander of the Syrian armies, who was healed from leprosy. Then we
should not be deceived by the fake “faith healers” nowadays who only
have their empty “claims” of healing the sick while taking advantage of
the audience for earthly gains!
How Shall We Do?
Through the Bible text, we
learn that the king of Syria warred against Israel and took counsel with
his servants to ambush Israel’s king and army. And he was “sore
troubled” when his schemes were detected by the prophet Elisha and the
king of Israel and his men were saved not once nor twice. Being informed
of Elisha’s place in Dothan, the king of Syria sent “a great host” of
horses and chariots to come by night and compassed the city about. When
the servant of Elisha got up early and saw this great host, he was so
frightened and said to Elisha, “Alas, my master! How shall we do?”
“How shall we do?” is the
helpless cry of those who are terrified to see their strong enemies,
their big problems or trials but do not see the mighty God! Instead of
expecting and praying God to help them and save them, they only look at
their own resources and think of how they can do. May the Lord turn our
eyes to Him in all situations and help us trust in Him “that is able
to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to
the power that worketh in us” (Eph 3:20).
The Eyes of Faith
Elisha was still calm and
fearless in such situation, and said to his servant, “Fear not: for
they that be with us are more than they that be with them,” and
prayed to the Lord, “I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see.”
This is a wise prayer if we do not see God in our situation, “Open my
eyes, that I may see Thee and Thy sovereign power, Thy loving care and
Thy deliverance.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he
saw: and, behold, the mountain was “full of horses and chariots of
fire round about Elisha.” No wonder, Elisha did not panic at all.
How vital it is for you and me to have our opened eyes of faith in the
Lord in all situations!
Not only Elisha but also many
other men of faith in the Bible who had their eyes of faith in the Lord
that we may learn from them.
Abraham:
“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he
should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not
knowing whither he went.” (Heb 11:8). “Who
against hope believed in hope,
staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in
faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he
(God) had
promised, he was able also to perform.” (Rom 4:18, 20-21).
It is vital for you and me to
“walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7).
Moses:
“By faith he forsook
Egypt, not fearing the wrath
of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible”
(Heb 11:27). When the children of Israel saw the Egyptians with all
their chariots pursuing after them, they “were sore afraid…and cried
out unto the LORD” (Exo 14:10). However, with the eyes of faith,
Moses was still calm and said to them, “Fear ye not, stand still, and
see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day…The LORD
shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace” (Exo 14:13-14).
The situation is the same, but we can see different reactions due to
whether we have the eyes of faith in the Lord!
Joshua and Caleb:
When the other ten spies discouraged the people of Israel with their
faithless and “evil report” saying, “We be not able to go up against
the people; for they are stronger than we… And there we saw the giants,
the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight
as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight” (Num 13:31-33),
Joshua and Caleb had the eyes of faith in the Lord and encouraged the
people, “If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this
land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only
rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land;
for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the
LORD is with us: fear them not” (Num 14:8-9). The
situation is the same, but we
can see different reactions due to whether we have the eyes of faith in
the Lord!
David:
When Saul and all Israel heard the challenge of the giant Goliath, they
“were dismayed, and greatly afraid” (1 Sam 17:9-11). But David
said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him (the giant
Goliath); thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine, …
The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the
paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine”
(1 Sam 17:32; 37). The situation is the same, but we can see different
reactions due to whether we have the eyes of faith in the Lord.
Looking unto the Lord and
Trusting and Obeying His Word
The perfect example for us to
follow is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is not only able to
give us His faith but also fulfil our faith in Him. “Looking unto
Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set
before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at
the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:2).
Last week, we learned how
Thomas missed his blessing for not believing the testimony of the
disciples telling him that they had seen the Lord, and he only believed
when Jesus appeared to him and the disciples the following week. Our
Lord said to him, “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast
believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed”
(John 20:29).
Today we can enjoy the
blessing of believing without seeing when we trust in God’s Word. Even
though we do not see the horses and chariots of fire around us, we can
trust that “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that
fear him,
and delivereth them”
(Ps 34:7), and
“If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31), and “Ye
are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is
he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4), and
“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him
that loved us” (Rom 8:37).
Without faith in God and His
Word, it is impossible to please Him (Heb 11:6). Many do not believe
that God is able to preserve His inspired Word as He has promised (Ps
12:6, 7; Matt 5:18), thus they miss God’s blessing and they can never
please God, and as they do not have a firm foundation of faith in God’s
Word and obedience to God’s Word, in time of great troubles or trials,
they cannot stand firm. Our Lord Jesus confirms, “And every one that
heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto
a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain
descended, and
the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it
fell: and great was the fall of it”
(Matt 7:26-27). How about the
foundation of our faith?
Conclusion
While still living in this
world, we shall face tribulation, difficulties, troubles, persecutions
or trials as our Lord Jesus says, “These things I have spoken unto
you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have
tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John
16:33).
May the Lord open our
spiritual eyes, turn our eyes unto Him alone and help us trust in Him
and His Word with our obedience so that we may stand firm in all
situations, saying like David, “I have set the LORD always before me:
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved” (Ps 16:8),
“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (Ps
27:1).
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