Now I See
2nd Kings 6:8-17 Victory Fellowship
October 5, 2025 - Rev. Roderick Grabski
I. Introduction:
a. Are you familiar with the term “rude awakening?”
i. My grandparents: Bill Cosby – Fat Albert meets Frankenstein.
ii. A situation where we literally stop in our tracks and go – run possibly – in the opposite direction.
iii. It is a wake-up call that screams to our sub-conscious mind – SOMETHING TERRIBLE IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN!
b. Rude awakenings are not always funny. Especially when they are related to fear, sin, or a lack of faith.
c. When we experience this type of rude awakening, we need God to open our eyes.
II. Relating the text:
a. Elisha needed God to open the eyes of the prophet’s servant. (tell the back story)
2 Kings 6:8-13 NLT 8 When the king of Aram was at war with Israel, he would confer with his officers and say, “We will mobilize our forces at such and such a place.” 9 But immediately Elisha, the man of God, would warn the king of Israel, “Do not go near that place, for the Arameans are planning to mobilize their troops there.” 10 So the king of Israel would send word to the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he would be on the alert there. 11 The king of Aram became very upset over this. He called his officers together and demanded, “Which of you is the traitor? Who has been informing the king of Israel of my plans?” 12 “It’s not us, my lord the king,” one of the officers replied. “Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in the privacy of your bedroom!” 13 “Go and find out where he is,” the king commanded, “so I can send troops to seize him.” And the report came back: “Elisha is at Dothan.”
b. The servant man had two rude awakenings – one when he saw King Aram’s army and another when he saw God’s army.
i. The first one produced a great desire to get out of that situation.
ii. The second one opened the eyes of his faith.
III. Application:
a. The reality is that no matter how many sermons we hear (or preach), how many books we read, or bible studies we attend, we will never grow spiritually as much as when we are in a difficult situation and we have the rude awakening that we need God.
i. The difficult situation may be a result of our sin or through no fault of our own.
ii. Whether we “hit rock bottom” or come to “the end of our rope” we call for God to reveal Himself – only to find He has always been there.
b. Unfortunately, some folks will only see God if they “hit rock bottom” or come to “the end of their rope”
c. Sometimes people go their whole lives without experiencing life-changing faith as a result of truly seeing God’s powerful presence.
IV. Conclusion:
a. We need to wake up to the reality that God is all around us. He is Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient. (explain these words).
b. We don’t have to have a rude awakening or a difficult circumstance to recognize our inherent dependence on God. We can open our eyes to His presence NOW.
c. We can live for God now. Lord, open our eyes.
Prayer
SONG: Future Glory
2 Kings 6:14-17 NLT 14 So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city. 15 When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. 16 “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” 17 Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.