Seeing the Problem as God Sees It

Daily Devotion: Day 233

“For thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water . . . And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD” (2 Kings 3:17-18, KJV).

Once upon a time, the kings of Israel, Judah and Edom formed an alliance to fight against the king of Moab. On their journey, they met with adversity. The land was so dry they had no water for seven days. Fearing that this situation would weaken them and ensure defeat at the hands of the Moabites, the kings turned to prophet Elisha for divine assistance. Today’s Scripture passage tells us part of Elisha’s prophecy for the three kings.

According to the prophecy, they would see neither wind nor rain. But the valley (where they were camped) would be filled with water. Indeed, that is exactly what happened. There was no sign of wind or rain, yet the next morning the valley was filled with water (2 Kings 3:20). We have much to say about the miracle, but let’s focus our attention on what Elisha said in verse 18: “And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD.”

The key words we want to highlight are, “in the sight of the LORD.” Sight refers to seeing. Elisha didn’t deny there was a problem. But what he did say was that God saw the problem as a light thing, i.e. insignificant. From God’s viewpoint, fixing the water crisis was a simple matter. In the sight of the three kings, it was a big problem, one that appeared insurmountable. That was how they saw the matter.

But Elisha gave them God’s view of the situation. With God, all things are possible, because He sees all problems as a light thing. When God sees a problem, He simultaneously sees its solution. His field of vision is unlimited, so He sees possibilities only and He delivers accordingly. Has this got anything to do with us? Yes. In what follows, we shall see why.

At some point in life you might face some form of adversity. But here is the thing: The adversity you face isn’t your main problem. How you see the adversity makes the difference. Perspective is important here. When you meet a problem, your reaction is more important than the problem itself. With your reaction, you can empower the problem or you can diminish its power over you. 

When you magnify a problem, you diminish yourself and acknowledge the problem’s authority over you. More importantly, you diminish God in the process. When you do that, you have crowned the problem king over you. And so many people magnify and crown their problems without even realizing it. Whatever you magnify, you empower. Be careful, therefore, what you magnify.

What you need to do is see every problem with the eyes of faith. Faith has eyes. Use them. This means you need to see the problem the way God sees it. God sees every problem as a light thing; so must you. Miracles happen when you and God are on the same page, seeing things from the same angle. That is the key to breakthrough.

 May the Lord enable you to see things from His perspective. And may His divine power be always exalted in your life. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

For further study: Numbers 13:1-33; 14:1-38