He'll Remember It

 

Imagine it.  Elisha, gobsmacked, jaw hanging open, gazed in astonishment as he watched Elijah whisked away in a whirlwind-powered fiery chariot, complete with horses, and disappear up into the heavens.  

"Earth to Elisha, hello!?"

Elisha tears his clothes, heartbroken at his loss, finds Elijah's cloak which has fluttered down, and with heart-wrenching cries, laments, 

"My father!  My father!"

"...And Elisha saw him no more" (2 Kings 2:12).

How extra-ordinarily lonely and poignantly felt at that searing moment.  The next instant - terror!  It's a wonder the passage doesn't record Elijah screaming, "My father!" again at the realization that he was now "the prophet-at-large".

Nope.  On the contrary it seems to have galvanized Elisha.  He snatches up Elijah's cloak and strikes the Jordan River water.  No silent sulking for him, he strikes with that mantle, invoking in no uncertain terms for God to do something.  Seems he was testing the waters, rather literally - almost as if in anger.  Yet God was on his side and worked wonders for him, showing those people of Jericho and any potential detractors and critics, and/or those attempting to falsely fawn at his feet for favors, not to play games.

Elisha is on God's business.  He now had a double-portion of Elijah's spirit and God allowed Elisha to demonstrate this immediately.  God showed up for Elisha, letting him know He was right there with him ever as much as He had been with Elijah, and didn't let him be shamed in front of an audience.  Rather, God empowered Elisha and put him to work straight away by parting the waters and healing the drinking water, and more as you can see if you continue to read the next chapters.

After reflecting on this, I feel that at times the Lord may give us work to do and we expect a mentor to be there for us but suddenly he/she is snatched away from us.  We are seemingly on our own.  What do we do?

We need to remember God is still there and on our side and that He'll remember us.

This reminds me of the verses from Hebrews chapter 6 and verses 10-12.  What reassurance and comfort we can have in knowing God's got our back too.  He remembers the work we do for Him and labels it "love shown to Him" because of such work.  It's like a sacrificial offering to Him which He is well-pleased to accept.  He remembers it!  He remembers what we do for His people.

As Elisha remembered what Elijah had done and imitated, going even above and beyond because of his double-portion granted, he continued to help God's people with diligence to the very end.  He imitated the faith in God and had patience to accomplish the work set for him to do.

Our Lord and Savior asks the same of us today.  He also doesn't want us to become lazy, nor weary in well-doing (Galatians 6:9).  There may be times however, after we have done much the same work for extended periods of time, say like teaching Sunday School for two or three decades, that perhaps the baton can be given over to others, and you turn your hand in another direction the Lord has planned out for you.

In this we need to seek His will and wisdom to know, are we just plain weary and need a short season of rest, or is He directing us elsewhere.  Seek His wisdom to know the difference and also to the 'what' and 'when and 'where' to go with His next plan for us.

In all we do let us imitate the faith and patience of those who have gone before us and to hold firmly on to our faith, not in those persons but in Whom these persons had put their faith - in God our Heavenly Father and in Jesus Christ His Son.

I do not think it is wrong to ask for a double-portion of God's dynamic Holy Spirit empowerment, either.  Let us continue to go forth, faithfully following our Savior and do many exploits for Him with diligence, grace and love.  

He'll remember it.

Imagine that!

                                                       ~ERC  April 2023~

Based on 1 Kings 19:19-21; 2 Kings 2:9-15 and Hebrews 6:10-12.

Sing, On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, along with Cassie Thompson.