Elijah and Elisha
Elisha the prophet is one of the greatest examples in the Old Testament of a man carried in the power of God, while at the same time carrying the power of God. This man was a farmer before the day he met Elijah and his life changed forever.
When Elijah found Elisha, there were very few people loyal to God in Israel. Under the reign of an evil king, Ahab, and his wife, Jezebel, most of the followers of God were in hiding. Elijah thought he was the last prophet...to be a prophet of God in those days was a deadly occupation! Jezebel was killing all of the prophets of God at this time.
The Bible says God told Elijah to go and find Elisha and anoint him to succeed Elijah as the main prophet in Israel. This is what happened:
1 Kings 19:19 So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away.
20 Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, "First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!" Elijah replied, "Go on back, but think about what I have done to you."
21 So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant.
Elijah very subtly and symbolically revealed to Elisha that God had selected him for something. Elijah told Elisha to "think about what this means." Elisha didn't understand exactly what it meant when Elijah put his coat on Him. But look at Elisha's response: he said goodbye to his family and then killed and cooked his only means of employment!
Elijah didn't test the water. He jumped in. He said yes to God with no regrets, and no plan B. He went on to carry the power of God on the face of the earth in the most amazing way. Before the first miracle was released through him, Elisha had already signed up for whatever God had for him. The only thing he could have been really sure of at the moment he said "yes" to God was that he had greatly increased his chances of being killed by Jezebel!
God is looking for a response that is confident in Him and his proven power and love. When He announced to Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus, she had questions, but she said "yes" and didn't question God's ability to do everything necessary to make this miracle come about, even though she knew it would cost her reputation.
Mary's cousin's husband, Zechariah, had the opposite response when the birth of John the Baptist, the forerunner to Jesus, was foretold. Zechariah disbelief in God's power and ability cost him. He displeased God and couldn't talk for 9 months!
Luke 1: 18 Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure this will happen? I'm an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years." 19 Then the angel said, "I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! 20 But now, since you didn't believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time."
Luke 1: 38 Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true." And then the angel left her.
My response to God's plan matters! Those who are faithful with a little are given much more. Faith demonstrated at the beginning results in the realization of the fullness of God's plan! I want to be all-in with God. I say yes to whatever He has for me!
When Elijah found Elisha, there were very few people loyal to God in Israel. Under the reign of an evil king, Ahab, and his wife, Jezebel, most of the followers of God were in hiding. Elijah thought he was the last prophet...to be a prophet of God in those days was a deadly occupation! Jezebel was killing all of the prophets of God at this time.
The Bible says God told Elijah to go and find Elisha and anoint him to succeed Elijah as the main prophet in Israel. This is what happened:
1 Kings 19:19 So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away.
20 Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, "First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!" Elijah replied, "Go on back, but think about what I have done to you."
21 So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant.
Elijah very subtly and symbolically revealed to Elisha that God had selected him for something. Elijah told Elisha to "think about what this means." Elisha didn't understand exactly what it meant when Elijah put his coat on Him. But look at Elisha's response: he said goodbye to his family and then killed and cooked his only means of employment!
Elijah didn't test the water. He jumped in. He said yes to God with no regrets, and no plan B. He went on to carry the power of God on the face of the earth in the most amazing way. Before the first miracle was released through him, Elisha had already signed up for whatever God had for him. The only thing he could have been really sure of at the moment he said "yes" to God was that he had greatly increased his chances of being killed by Jezebel!
God is looking for a response that is confident in Him and his proven power and love. When He announced to Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus, she had questions, but she said "yes" and didn't question God's ability to do everything necessary to make this miracle come about, even though she knew it would cost her reputation.
Mary's cousin's husband, Zechariah, had the opposite response when the birth of John the Baptist, the forerunner to Jesus, was foretold. Zechariah disbelief in God's power and ability cost him. He displeased God and couldn't talk for 9 months!
Luke 1: 18 Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure this will happen? I'm an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years." 19 Then the angel said, "I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! 20 But now, since you didn't believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time."
Luke 1: 38 Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true." And then the angel left her.
My response to God's plan matters! Those who are faithful with a little are given much more. Faith demonstrated at the beginning results in the realization of the fullness of God's plan! I want to be all-in with God. I say yes to whatever He has for me!
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