Open Our Eyes, That We May See by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman
“Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see” (2 Kings 6:17).
This is the prayer we need to pray for ourselves and for one another, “Lord, open our eyes that we may see”; for the world all around us, as well as around the prophet, is full of God’s horses and chariots, waiting to carry us to places of glorious victory. And when our eyes are thus opened, we shall see in all events of life, whether great or small, whether joyful or sad, a “chariot” for our souls.
Everything that comes to us becomes a chariot the moment we treat it as such; and, on the other hand, even the smallest trial may be a Juggernaut car to crush us into misery or despair if we consider it.
It lies with each of us to choose which they shall be. It all depends, not upon what these events are, but upon how we take them. If we lie down under them, and let them roll over us and crush us, they become Juggernaut cars, but if we climb up into them, as into a car of victory, and make them carry us triumphantly onward and upward, they become the chariots of God. –Hannah Whitall Smith
The Lord cannot do much with a crushed soul, hence the adversary’s attempt to push the Lord’s people into despair and hopelessness over the condition of themselves, or of the church. It has often been said that a dispirited army goes forth to battle with the certainty of being beaten. We heard a missionary say recently that she had been invalided home purely because her spirit had fainted, with the consequence that her body sunk also. We need to understand more of these attacks of the enemy upon our spirits and how to resist them. If the enemy can dislodge us from our position, then he seeks to “wear us out” (Daniel 7:25) by a prolonged siege, so that at last we, out of sheer weakness, let go the cry of victory.
Streams in the Desert: 1925 Original 366 Daily Devotional Readings
Belief, Not Understanding | Streams in the Desert
Thanks for sharing this, Sallie. This is where I’ve been for about a month–it just seems that there has been a relentless attack of the enemy. I told my husband last night that I don’t think I can take one more thing. The Lord spoke to me today about how important it is to praise Him in times like this, and reading this from you reminds me that I cannot just let circumstances roll over me and crush me. Thanks for being a blessing to me.
Karen,
Thank you for letting me know. I had not planned on blogging it today but felt compelled to do so. I’m so glad I listened and took the time to post it! Blessings to you!
My husband and I were just talking about this , I have been suffering , and yet life is good ! Things I have been forgiven for have been flooding back , and with them lots of guilt , I have been more compelled to speak out and as I do I seem to slide into a pit , someone doesn’t like it I guess. Too bad , for that someone , I will just keep goin forward anyway.!! Sometimes I wonder about different parts of the country being under attack at different times, almost everyone I know who is a Christian has been feeling this way.
Karen,
Isn’t it wonderful that when we are forgiven, we are truly forgiven forever? It’s funny you mention this because the other day some very old, long ago confessed sins came to mind a few times and I felt guilty over them briefly. But I reminded myself that they were confessed and I am forgiven. There is therefore NO condemnation for those who are in Christ! Thank you, Lord!