This picture is of Ruth Jacques, the girl from Haiti who has been staying with us for the past few weeks. I snapped a photo of her and she blinked, messing the photo up because she had her eyes closed. Her Poppi, as she calls him, tells her, “Ruth, keep your eyes open.” This photo captures her response. Love, love, love it!
I have a feeling this is exactly what our Heavenly Father is often trying to tell us, “Keep your eyes wide open.”
We go about our days running frantically through our busy schedules, sometimes barely looking up to recognize there is a God. When bumps in the road come along, do we even take time to validate the goodness of God in slowing us down to see Him? Scripture reminds us that God is constantly at work around us. He is at work in my life– in my unexpected circumstances, my misfortunes and yes, during my good days, too. God is working when I feel like I am barely holding on. He is working when I feel all alone in the desert. He is working when I stand in amazement at His creation, allowing His nearness to soak in. Whether or not I personally feel it or see it,
God is always at work.
“He will not let your foot slip– he who watches over you will not slumber;” Psalm 121:3 NIV
But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” John 7:17 NLT
Our Heavenly Father has not stopped working in this world since He created it.
He did not create us and then say, “I’m done. I’m finished with you. See ya later” and then send us on our way to figure things out. No, He is alive and active all around you. He is involved every step of the way. I pray that we open our eyes and see Him working. Take a look at the difference in vantage point between the prophet Elisha and his servant, Gehazi. Elisha had enraged the King of Aram and now the King’s army is in hot pursuit.
“Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city. When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 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. As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.” 2 Kings 6:14-18 NIV
What did the servant initially see? On the other hand, what did Elisha see?
It is possible for us to be oblivious to God’s working all around us.
Elisha and his servant were in the city of Dotham surrounded by their enemy’s army. The servant looked at the bleak situation and circumstances all around them and was absolutely terrified. He saw his life flash before his very own eyes. Elisha, on the other hand, remained calm despite the approaching army. He saw God working in the midst of the them. After Elisha prayed, the servant’s eyes were also opened.
One of the greatest tragedies among believers today is that we no longer believe that God is working.
Sure, we believe that He is working in other people’s lives, but not convinced that He is working in our own. Our unbelief prevents us from experiencing God day after day because we don’t know how to recognize Him. For many, our unbelief has ushered in a debilitating cycle: we believe little, so we see little. We continue to believe little and we see littler and littler until we ain’t seeing nothing at all!
Our primary obstacle in seeing God at work is ourselves! We have chosen to believe with our own eyes and ears rather than to see life through God’s perspective. So, that place us in a difficult dilemma: Do we truly believe what the Bible has to say? Do we believe that God is no less than who He was the day He spoke the world into existence? Do we truly believe that He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8)?