I KINGS 19
If only Elisha had stayed where he was, he could have experienced a nice, comfortable life. He was from a wealthy family and had a nice job. Life was pretty good for him.
But God sometimes calls, and, if we have the courage to respond, He leads us in paths we never would have created for ourselves.
Elisha was out working in the field when Elijah came walking by. There was just something about that moment; no words were needed. Elisha knew that God was calling him to leave everything comfortable and familiar to follow this mysterious miracle-worker into an uncertain future.
Elisha had no idea that he would receive twice as much power as his predecessor, Elijah. He could not have known the great things he would do and see, the miracles, the healings, the visions. He could not have imagined the pain he would feel when he pleaded with his fellow Hebrews to repent and return to this God who does such amazing miracles, only to find his message falling on deaf ears.
He only knew that God was offering him the opportunity of a lifetime, and he wanted that more than anything else.
In that moment, Elisha chose to follow. He chose to leave affluence and security behind and become part of a lonely line of prophets that God used to call His people back to Himself. And that one decision marked a turning point for Elisha. His life would never be the same.
Elisha was able to see things other people could not see. But he had no idea that gift would be his when he first signed up to follow God’s call. He only knew that he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he ignored the invitation.
He watched as his mentor was taken up into heaven by a fiery chariot and horses. He raised a young man from the dead, caused an axe handle to float on water, took a small amount of bread and multiplied it to feed 100 people, and healed an important Syrian general of leprosy. He even foiled a foreign army’s attempt to invade Israel by asking God to strike them all blind.
The strangest miracle involving Elisha happened after he was already dead and buried. A group of people was burying a friend when some bandits from Moab sprang upon them. In their haste, they dumped their friend’s corpse into the grave containing Elisha’s bones. As soon as the body touched the bones, it sprang back to life.
Strange things happened to Elisha. If only he had stayed where he was, he could have experienced a nice, comfortable life. But he would have missed out on the life he always wanted.
Father, Your ways are mysterious and past finding out. I cannot comprehend Your purposes even for my life, but I know that You have implanted deep longings within me that correspond to Your intentions for the life I should live before You. The world is too much with me, and it is difficult for me to hear Your voice amidst the din of activities and obligations. May I learn the wisdom and sanity of solitude in which I retreat long enough from the claims and lures of this world to hear Your voice, Your call. I am willing to follow You into the unknown, I acknowledge that You really have a better plan and purpose for my life than I do. As I renew my mind with Your truth during these times, give me the grace to respond to Your invitation and turn away from the things that keep me from becoming the person You want me to be.
In Jesus’s name, Amen
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