Today I want to talk about another prophet I am preaching on, following last week’s message about the prophet Elijah. Today’s focus is on Elisha, who was the disciple and successor of Elijah. To understand his story, we need to explore how people of faith respond to moments of crisis, because every one of us either has faced a crisis, is facing one now, or will face one in the future.
There is a lighthearted story that illustrates how easily panic can take hold. A senior citizen once called her doctor’s office and asked the nurse, “Is it true that the medication you prescribed has to be taken for the rest of my life?” The doctor replied, “Yes ma’am, I’m afraid so.” There was a long pause on the line before she said, “I’m just wondering how serious my condition really is, because this prescription bottle says ‘no refills.’” The doctor realized what had happened. He had explained that he was giving her a 30-day supply to see how her body responded, but she hadn’t heard that part. She saw the label and panicked.
Many of us live exactly like that. We look at the label in front of us and assume the worst. What is written there scares us more than what lies behind it. In times of trial, people panic because they can only see what is immediately visible, and they begin to form assumptions based on limited information.
I am guilty of this myself. Whenever a doctor prescribes medication, what do I do? I Google it. Doctors hate that, by the way. My son is a physician, and he constantly tells me not to do it. And when we look something up, we rarely focus on the benefits. We look for the side effects. We read everything from headaches to numbness to serious complications, and suddenly anxiety sets in. We focus on the negative, panic rises, and peace disappears.
This happens far more often than we realize. Our perception shapes our reaction. What we see in front of us can be deceiving, because we do not truly see with our eyes. We see with our brains. As people of faith, we are called to look beyond what is immediately visible and not get stuck on the label that says “no refills.” There is a Doctor behind the label who understands the full treatment plan.
That is why I titled this message, “Can You Really See?” Those words may sound familiar, because our national anthem begins with them. “Oh, say can you see.” When Francis Scott Key wrote those words in September of 1814, the scene before him was one of chaos and destruction. During the battle at Fort McHenry in Maryland, he watched bombs explode and smoke fill the air. He believed everything had been destroyed. But when the smoke cleared, he saw the American flag still flying. In the middle of destruction and noise, he saw a sign of hope. From a moment of crisis, a song was born that would become our national anthem.
Crisis has a way of clouding our vision. Noise, fear, and uncertainty surround us, but if we can see through the smoke, we may discover that God is still at work.
The biblical story we read today comes from 2 Kings chapter 6, during a time when Israel was divided into two kingdoms. The king of Aram, known today as Syria, repeatedly attacked Israel. Every time the enemy planned an assault, God revealed the plan to the prophet Elisha, who warned the king of Israel. The enemy’s attacks failed again and again, and the king of Aram became furious. He suspected a spy within his camp, until one of his officers said, “There is a prophet in Israel named Elisha, and he tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”
When the enemy realized the source of the problem, he decided to eliminate the messenger. A large army was sent to surround the place where Elisha was staying. When Elisha’s servant saw the enemy forces encircling them, he panicked and cried out, “What shall we do?” That question is familiar to all of us. When crisis hits, our first instinct is to ask what action we can take.
Elisha’s response was calm and confident. He prayed, “Lord, open his eyes so that he may see.” When the servant looked again, he saw not only the enemy army, but also the hills filled with horses and chariots of fire surrounding them. Elisha then spoke words that echo through every crisis: “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
The lesson is profound. The question is not, “What shall we do?” but rather, “What can they do?” Our focus often turns to our resources, our finances, our connections, or our own strength. But what truly matters is not what we can do, but what God can do.
I learned this lesson personally during a crisis in 2012. My family was in the process of closing on a new home when, just four days before the closing date, I lost my job. We had children in college, another house on the market, and boxes packed for the move. Panic set in. I didn’t sleep for days. I remember calling my pastor, who came to pray with us. He asked, “What are you going to do?” And the truth was, there was nothing I could do. But there was someone who could.
God carried us through that season. The house closed. The needs were met. Looking back, I learned that a crisis does not define a person; it reveals a person. Crisis exposes where our trust truly lies.
Faith allows us to see beyond the label and recognize God’s presence in the middle of the storm. Scripture reminds us again and again not to fear, because God is our shield and our reward. The power within us, through the Holy Spirit, is greater than any force that comes against us. As Paul writes in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
God not only wants us to see, but He wants us to pray for one another so others can see too. Elisha prayed for his servant, and God opened his eyes. We are called to do the same for one another, especially when fear clouds someone else’s vision. Hebrews reminds us that angels are ministering spirits sent by God to serve and protect His people.
There are countless testimonies of God’s unseen protection. Sometimes we do not realize it until later, but God is faithful. Whether the threat comes in the form of opposition, illness, broken relationships, grief, or uncertainty, God’s hand is at work.
We can choose to see the enemy’s tanks, or we can choose to see God’s chariots of fire. God is always present, closer than our breath, even when we struggle to see Him. So do not panic when you read the label. Do not assume the story is over because it says “no refills.” There is a greater plan at work.
May we leave encouraged, strengthened, and reminded that God is behind us, beneath us, and all around us, guarding us through every crisis. May the Lord bless these words and deepen our faith as we go forward.
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