2 Kings 6:15-16 says, “And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’ So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’”

The Bible says that it is for freedom that He sets us free. The freedom the Lord gives releases us from the bondage of sin and from the control of things that seem to contend God’s place in our lives. When we are controlled by power on the outside—what is seen—we lack the quality of being stable. In the case of Jesus, the people’s unbelief was based on what they saw on the outside. They only saw Jesus as the son of a carpenter; they saw Jesus as the son of Mary, a boy who grew up with them. What they saw, what they heard, what their circumstances looked like constituted an atmosphere of unbelief. Under such an atmosphere of disregard and unbelief, it was difficult for Jesus to be at His best for them.

If you are controlled by what you see, what you hear, what you feel, what your circumstances look like, you can never be constant in your relationship with Jesus. As Christians, we are inspired internally by the Holy Spirit. This divine ability will not be developed instantly because growth takes time. Proper judgment and discernment take a lifetime of personal experience with God to develop. Yet, when they are developed, they become permanent. If we have the Holy Spirit, we have the means to control ourselves and thus be free from external control.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the grace to be focused on You and not be controlled by what I see or hear, in Jesus’ name! Amen!