Get Ready To Be Equipped

Sometimes as a servant of God, we will be called to do things that we would not rather do. Could you be willing to do them out of your love for God? Could you allow the Holy Spirit the chance to fill you with His presence, so that its no longer you doing them, but rather God’s Spirit working inside of you and offering the situation as a sacrifice to God. It’s not easy to become more and more like Christ, but the reward is worth it both for you and for those around you.

As time begins to pass, Elijah is wrapping up his job of equipping Elisha. The next step is going to be whether or not Elisha will be willing to take a break from his training or is he committed to going the distance. Elijah knew God was up to something in his own life and that a change was going to take place.

He and Elisha, were on their way from Gilgal, and Elijah told his apprentice, “Stay here, the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” That was a seven mile trip and they did not have Uber or Lift, so it would take some time and energy to getting there.

But Elisha had watched close enough to know that this might be his mentor’s last day on earth. He also knew that before someone died, the person would pronounce a blessing on those present and he didn’t want to miss out on being there when Elijah left.

So he told him, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So, the two of them walked on down to Bethel. They ran into a group of prophets who took Elisha by the side and said, “Don’t you know the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?

Elisha said, “yes I know so be quiet.” There are going to be well meaning people who will try to discourage you with some news they are bringing. You have got to keep your eyes on Jesus and follow what you know is true.

Then Elijah said to Elisha again, “look it’s been a long trip here to Bethel, but you can stay here, the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” It was an even longer trip to Jericho. So, Elijah is kind of pushing the limits.

Elisha gives the same response. No way am I staying here. If it’s, Jericho let’s go to Jericho. The company of prophets in Jericho come to Elisha on the side, with those some discomforting words. “Don’t you know the Lord is going to take your master away from you today?”

Once again Elisha puts the focus, not on the fact that Elijah will be taken away, but rather on his commitment to be with his master until the very end. So he tells this group “Yes I do know this, so be quiet, I got this.”

Then Elijah tells him again, stay here in Jericho. The Lord has sent me to the Jordan. Now the Jordan River was a much shorter trip than the first two had been. It’s possible that if Elisha took a break, he could still catch up with him. No doubt Elisha was tired of traveling.

He probably didn’t understand why his master couldn’t just take a break. But if his master was going, he was going along with him. There’s a gospel song that says, “I believe I will run on, and see what the end is going to be.” That’s what Elisha was doing. “There is no way I’m going to leave you today. To the Jordan it is.”