"When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, 'Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?' 'Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,' Elisha replied."
Elisha was Elijah's student; he followed Elijah wherever he went; watched what he did; listened to what he said; learned all that he could learn. Even when Elijah told Elisha to turn back, he would not. Elisha looked at Elijah as his father and according to Deut 21:17, the firstborn son received a double portion of the father's inheritance. Elisha was, therefore, asking to be Elijah's heir, or successor, the one who would continue as the leader of the prophets. The decision was not Elijah's but God's, and God granted the request because Elisha's motives were pure. Elisha's goal was not to be greater then Elijah, but to do more for God.
All of us are students of Jesus Christ. He is the one we follow; learn from; listen to; emulate. In the Old Testament, men physically followed their teacher; the disciples of John the Baptist physically followed him and learned from his teachings; other disciples physically followed Jesus so that they could learn from Him. Today, we follow in the spirit, led by God's Holy Spirit, as we study and ingest the living Word of God. We may have teachers who lead and guide us through studies, but ultimately, we choose how closely we want to follow Jesus by the amount of intimacy we share with Him.
Elisha was a great man and he did many great things, but he was not self-serving. He was just as willing to serve the poor as the wealthy. Elisha was an effective replacement for Elijah because in addition to learning from him, he also built on his master's achievements. Like Elisha, we must have pure motives before the Lord, learn from Him, and build on what Jesus did when He walked the earth. When we ask for something such as great power or ability, we need to examine our hearts to see what our motives are. Is what we are asking for intended to glorify us? Do we want to be popular and highly thought of? How much of "me" is in the asking? We must also remember that with great power and ability comes great responsibility. Are we willing to accept that?
Elijah, Elisha, and Messiah Jesus were men of integrity who did not try to make themselves great at the expense of others. Even though Jesus is God's son, and God, he still had to make a choice of obedience. All three sought the will of God in all they did. They were humble, honest and faithful. They are our examples of people who completely immersed themselves in God and were profoundly obedient. There was no compromise.
How is my Christian integrity? Have I compromised my faith principles so I won't make waves or upset anyone? What are my motives for serving the Lord?
"Lord Jesus, Master Teacher, search my heart and try me. Root out all that is in me that is unholy and self-serving. Purify me for service for You. Teach me by Your Holy Spirit, that I may learn only the holy truth. Use me to Your honor and glory only. Thank you for those who have gone before me to encourage me to do Your will. Give me strength, Lord, to always be obedent to You, and only You. Amen."
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
John 3:29-31
John 14:12
Psalm 4:4
139:23
Proverbs 20:27
Ecclesiastes 7:25
1 Corinthias 2:10
.
No comments:
Post a Comment