Standing Firm

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:

1 When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the LORD has sent me to Bethel.”

But Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

3 The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?”

“Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.”

4 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the LORD has sent me to Jericho.”

And he replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.

                                               

5 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?”

“Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.”

6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.”

And he replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on.

7 Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

9 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.

10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.

13 Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.14 He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

15 The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. (2 Kings 2:1-15, NIV)

REFLECTIONS:

We associate Elijah with whirlwinds, fire, and of course, with Elisha—young, curious, steadfast Elisha. Elijah knows he will soon be taken up to heaven. Elisha is resolute in his loyalty to stay with him to the end. Thus, his thrice-repeated declaration: "As the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you" (verses 2, 4, 6).

When have you experienced the feeling that you were exactly where you needed to be and had close friends trying to dissuade you from being there? Elisha knows that Elijah, who is closer to him than a father, will be taken from him and there is nothing he can do about it. Elijah repeatedly tries to get Elisha to stay behind and not follow him. Why? We don't really know. What we do know is that Elisha stands firm—over and over and over again he says: "I will not leave you."

When Elijah asks what he can do for Elisha before he is taken from him, Elisha requests that he inherit a double portion of Elijah's spirit. While this may appear to some to be a bold and selfish request, in truth Elisha is asking to be treated as the oldest son—who would inherit twice what a younger son would be entitled to. But Elisha isn't after property or power; he wants to inherit the right to be Elijah's successor. He isn't after selfish gain. He isn't seeking fame or fortune. He is seeking to follow Elijah's example in declaring the word of the Lord. Elisha longs to experience the same power of God resting on his life and working through his life that Elijah experienced during his heyday. He wants to take up Elijah's mantle and serve to the glory of God.

Indeed, as Elijah is taken up in the whirlwind, his mantle is left behind. Elisha retrieves it and uses it to cross the Jordan the same way Elijah did—striking the water with the rolled-up mantle. The water parts, allowing him to cross over to the other side. This affirms to Elisha that God plans to use him in the same way he used Elijah and used Joshua (see Joshua 3) and used Moses (see Exodus 14). Elisha is seen and accepted as Elijah's successor and carries on God's work for many years to come.

What would have happened if Elisha had stayed behind as Elijah encouraged him? What opportunities have you missed by not clinging tightly to God's will for your life? In what way might this story be encouraging you to hold fast to your God-given convictions, despite the voices tempting you to take another path? In what ways might this narrative be challenging you to more passionately seek to discern the will of God for your life?

PRAYER:

O God, strengthen us to stand firmly where you want us to be. We pray for the fortitude to stand firm against the voices that try to persuade us to choose a path of life that runs contrary to your will. We need your grace. We need your strength. We need your Spirit to work within us, to give us insight and revelation regarding your will. Please, by your grace, help us to know where you want us to be and how you want to use us this very day.

WHO AM I?

I am Tres Sansom, and I confess to being easily persuaded to turn away from God's will. There's so many voices that call us to live contrary to God's will—the voice of our adversary, the devil; the voice of our culture; the voice of materialism and greed; the voice of our flesh, tempting us to live in our own strength; and countless others. But, thanks be to God, for his grace and power that is at work within us! Through his grace and resurrection power, we have been given everything we need to stand firm in the face of opposition. And, because of God's grace and work in my life, I can testify to the abundant joy and contentment that comes to those who increasingly walk in the will of God. While I can indeed be persuaded by fears, doubts, and other voices of temptation, God has been doing the work within me to empower me to increasingly stand firm in his will. Thanks be to God!