By PASTOR BRANDON YOUNG

When we first decided to do this column, God impressed upon our hearts to call it the Solution Column. I think it has been the perfect name for what God is trying to accomplish. He is not seeking to point out problems and issues, but rather help others to see a solution. Recently, I was I speaking to a young woman about her church looking for a new pastor. She said to me that most of the men who were coming to preach at her church stood for an hour and told the church how bad things were in society. She looked at me and said, “We don’t need to hear how bad things are because we can already see that every day, but we need to hear and see a solution!” She couldn’t be more truthful because we need spiritual sight! It is so easy to see our problems, issues, burdens, fears, worries, and pain, but to see a solution is much more difficult.
The Bible tells a story of two men. One of these men had 20/20 spiritual eyesight, and the other man was spiritually blind until the first man prayed and God opened his eyes. The story can be found in 2 Kings, chapter 6. The King of Aram was at war with Israel and he wanted to know who was leaking information because Israel was always prepared and never caught off guard. He thought he had a spy in his ranks, but instead the Holy Man of God, Elisha, was telling the King Israel what the Lord was conveying to him. Elisha knew the words whispered in secret by the King of Aram. The King of Aram found out who Elisha was and sought to capture him and kill him. He sent horses and chariots full of men to Dothan to surround Elisha, and they came at night while everyone was asleep. Early in the morning, Elisha’s servant got up and saw the problem. He immediately ran back in to Elisha and asked what they were going to do. This servant was blind spiritually because all he could see was the issue at hand. Let’s think on that for a moment before we continue with the story.
This servant was just like the rest of us. Problems and issues are obvious and easy to spot in a crowd. It is our human nature due to the flesh we live in to see and expect problems. We live in the mindset of expecting the next problem. In fact, these problems hinder us from seeing any solution. The issues hijack our minds, and the worry, fear, and anxiety set in quickly, and all our joy and peace dissipate. I can only imagine how Elisha’s servant felt when he looked out and saw a host of men and chariots encircling him and his master knowing these men wanted them dead!
Now let’s go back to the story. The servant frantically ran to Elisha asking what they should do when he saw that dreadful sight! Elisha did not get upset or worried at all. In fact, I don’t think he even got up out of bed to look out the window. He knew the God he served was going to take care of them, and you don’t have to physically see the solution to know it is in the making. He then told his servant that there was more with them than with the enemy, and then Elisha prayed that his servants’ eyes would be open. Elisha’s 20/20 spiritual vision allowed him to see the solution, power, and protection of God, and his servant was unable to do so. Once the spiritual eyes of the servant were opened, he was able to see a mountainside full of horses and chariots of fire that outnumbered King Aram’s men.
These chariots and horses of fire were there the first time the servant looked, but he was unable to see them due to spiritual blindness. Have you ever wondered how much we are missing due to that same blindness? We are blinded by our fears, doubts, worries, cares, troubles, and the list can go on and on. We must ask the Lord to open our eyes that we can see his solution and know that he is in control of our lives! There is so much to God we are missing because of our spiritual blindness. I want to expect and see the power of almighty God, and see the solution that is already there!
(The Solution Column is provided by Pastor Brandon Young of Harmony Free Will Baptist Church, Hampton, and his associate, Hunter Greene.)