THERE IS POWER IN YOUR PERSPECTIVE
Key Takeaways
• Your perspective can completely change how you respond to a situation
• Fear often causes us to forget what God has already done
• God is working behind the scenes even when we cannot see it
• Remembering God’s faithfulness strengthens our faith in difficult moments
Let me start with something that happened to me once.
I was sitting at a red light and nearly got into a car accident. When the light turned green, I could see a car flying toward the intersection that clearly wasn’t slowing down. The driver sitting in the lane to my left didn’t see it at all.
So while I hit the brakes, they pulled into the intersection and were immediately t-boned by the oncoming car.
Here’s what struck me about that moment. We were in the same place, sitting at the same light, experiencing the exact same situation. But because I could see what was coming, I reacted differently as my perspective gave me an advantage the other driver didn’t have.
And that idea shows up in one of the most fascinating stories in Scripture.
In 2 Kings 6:8–17, the king of Aram is at war with Israel. Every time he tries to plan an attack, the prophet Elisha warns the king of Israel ahead of time. Eventually the king of Aram becomes furious and demands to know who keeps leaking his plans.
One of his officers finally tells him the truth: “Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in the privacy of your bedroom.”
Think about that for a moment. God is revealing the king’s plans before they even happen. Yet the king’s response is still to go capture Elisha. (Apparently high levels of intelligence weren’t a requirement to be king in that nation. )
So he sends an entire army to surround the city where Elisha is staying.
The next morning Elisha’s servant walks outside and sees the city completely surrounded by enemy troops. Horses. Chariots. Soldiers everywhere.
Naturally, he panics and runs back inside, crying out, “Sir, what are we going to do now?”
Meanwhile Elisha looks at the exact same situation and calmly says: “Don’t be afraid. There are more on our side than on theirs.”
Can you imagine hearing that? The servant is probably looking around thinking, What in the world is this man talking about?
Then Elisha prays a simple prayer, “Lord, open his eyes and let him see.”
And suddenly the servant sees something that had been there the entire time. The hills surrounding them were filled with horses and chariots of fire. The situation hadn’t changed, just his perspective.
Fear Makes Us Forget What God Has Already Done
What makes this story even more interesting is that Elisha’s servant had probably seen God move many times before.
In 2 Kings 2, Elisha healed the toxic water in Jericho. In 2 Kings 4, a widow watched a small jar of oil multiply until she could pay off all her debts. In that same chapter, a child was raised from the dead, poisoned food was purified, and a small amount of bread fed a crowd.
This servant wasn’t new to the idea that God could do the impossible. Yet the moment trouble appeared, fear took over.
Isn’t it amazing how quickly we can forget what God has already done?
We celebrate the miracle when it happens. We tell the testimony. We thank God for His provision. But when the next challenge shows up, we panic like we’ve never seen Him move before, because fear has a way of erasing our memory of God’s faithfulness.
Why Does Perspective Matter in Faith?
Perspective determines whether we see only the problem or recognize that God is present in the middle of it.
Elisha didn’t deny the situation. The army was real. The threat was real. But Elisha could also see something his servant couldn’t see at the time: God’s protection was already there with them.
Sometimes the greatest prayer we can pray is the same one Elisha prayed: “Lord, open my eyes.”
Because when God opens our eyes, we don’t just see the problem anymore. We begin to see His presence, His provision, and His power working in ways we couldn’t recognize before.
And often the situation itself doesn’t change right away, but our perspective does. And that has the power to change everything.
God Is Already Working Behind the Scenes
We see this same truth in another powerful moment in Scripture.
In Genesis 22, Abraham is preparing to sacrifice Isaac when suddenly he looks up and sees a ram caught in a bush.
Scripture tells us Abraham named that place Yahweh-Yireh, meaning “The Lord will provide.”
But think about what had to happen for that ram to be there at exactly the right moment. Where did the seed for that bush come from? How long had that ram been traveling before it ended up there? God had already prepared the solution long before Abraham realized he needed it. That’s how God works.
Throughout the entire Bible we see the same pattern again and again. God provides. God answers. God protects. God prepares a way. Even when people couldn’t see Him working, He was already moving behind the scenes.
Remember What God Has Done
Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do in a difficult moment is simply remember. Remember when God provided before. Remember when He protected you. Remember when He answered your prayers.
Because if you’ve seen Him do it before, you can rest in the confidence that He can do it again. Even if you feel surrounded. Even if the situation looks impossible.
You may feel surrounded by your enemies. But the truth is, your enemies are also surrounded by someone much more powerful than them. And that’s the power of perspective.
What situation in your life right now might look different if God opened your eyes to see what He is doing?
Watch the Full Message: “There Is Power In Your Perspective.”
This teaching originally comes from the Plain English with Pastor Jay YouTube channel, where we explore biblical leadership, spiritual growth, and practical ways to live out God’s truth.
For more leadership and faith-based teaching like this, explore the resources available inside the Plain English Academy. You can also learn more about the mission behind Plain English on the About page or read additional articles on the Plain English Blog.
Churches and organizations interested in leadership or spiritual development training can also book Pastor Jay to speak.
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