The Chariots of God

(from Hannah Whitall Smith, The Christian’s Secret to a Happy Life)

Hannah Whitall Smith taught that the trials of life are not random accidents. She described them as “God’s chariots”—vehicles designed to carry us into victories we could never reach on our own.

They rarely appear that way. Troubles usually come dressed as losses, disappointments, unkindness, or misunderstandings. To our eyes they look like enemies pressing us down. Smith pointed to the story of Elisha in 2 Kings 6. When the prophet’s servant panicked at the sight of the Syrian army, Elisha prayed, “Lord, open his eyes that he may see.”  In that moment the servant saw the invisible reality: God’s horses and fiery chariots encircling them. In the same way, we need opened eyes to recognize that our trials are also God’s hidden chariots.

Smith illustrated this with everyday examples. One woman discovered her “slow” housekeeper was the very chariot God had sent to teach patience. Another realized that noisy roommates were the chariot that carried her into calmness and peace. What first appeared to be misery became the means of spiritual growth once they were received as God’s instruments.

She also warned against relying too heavily on earthly “chariots”—friends, ministries, or familiar routines. When those props fail, it is often so that we will finally depend upon the invisible chariots God provides. As long as we cling to visible supports, we will not climb into His.

Her counsel is direct: when trials arrive, do not collapse under them. Instead, pray, “Lord, open my eyes to see this as Your chariot.”  Every loss, irritation, or disappointment can become a vehicle that carries us upward into the “heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”