September 16, 2021: Open My Eyes

“And 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 6:17, NKJV).

Early in his childhood, my friend Igor was often corrected for his inability to name colors. It wasn’t until elementary school that he learned he was color blind, a condition that affects one in 12 men and one in 200 women in the world. Later in life, he found it difficult to accomplish basic responsibilities like shopping for clothes. Driving was also a challenge, as he could not distinguish red from green.

However, on June 8, 2020, Igor’s life forever changed. The youth group from the Hackettstown church gathered to witness him try on his color blindness-correction glasses for the first time. As the sky was set ablaze with the setting sun, Igor’s eyes detected the full spectrum of wavelengths from the electromagnetic radiation. Tears flowed down his cheeks, as he exclaimed, “It is so red!” and “Are these leaves really this green?”

In the time of prophet Elisha, the Syrian army’s horses and chariots surrounded the city of Dothan. Paralyzed with fear, the prophet prayed that God would open his eyes to behold the chariots of fire. Like Elisha, Igor could not see the beautiful sunset—“the chariots of fire”—until his eyes were opened.

God and His fiery angel chariots are always surrounding us, and we can witness them in full grandeur if we allow Him to open our eyes.

Dear God, please open my eyes to witness You at work today! Amen.

Stephen Lee is the pastor of the Tranquility, Phillipsburg and Hackettstown churches in New Jersey.