Hi how are you all today? I am well. My week has been good and I managed, with Gods help, to get a handle on my workload. So no stress, well not much and alls well. How was your week?
This week I want to touch on staying close to the word. Which word? The Word of God as that is our only source of truth in a topsy turvy world. That is a world that is being shaken and going upside down. When all around is like that, we need an anchor to hold on to and that is the Bible.
We are going to look at the story of Elijah and Elisha when Elijah is just about to depart this world. It is found in 2 Kings 2. Let’s do a little backstory first. Elijah was a prophet first and God had told him to anoint Elisha to take over from him.
In this story we see them both walking and Elijah saying in three different places for Elisha to stay as Elijah needed to journey on to the next place. Elijah went from Bethel to Jericho to the Jordan and then across it.
But Elisha refused to stay. Why? He wanted to be where the Word of God was. You see, Elijah was Gods mouthpiece for the nation and if he was moving and going to the next place, Elisha wanted to be there too. He didn’t want to miss even a moment of what God was about to do. He wanted to stay close to the Word of God.
At the end of this journey, Elijah asked Elisha what he wanted? In verse 9, Elisha said he wanted what Elijah had and could do and in some versions of the Bible, he requested double portion If Elisha hadn’t stayed with the Word of God, Elisha would have walked in his calling of a prophet but not had a double portion of the anointing. When we stay near the Word of God, God pours out His blessings as we stay in the Word.
What else would Elisha have missed out on? It was the revealing of heavenly things. He saw the chariots and horses come to take Elijah to heaven, Elisha was then totally assured of God and the things of God. It gave him confidence that God would be near him and work through him.
Elisha didn’t have the written Word of God like we have. We have been privileged to be able to read Gods Word anytime but sometimes we treat it with familiarity rather than awe. It is time for us to realise what a treasure we have and stay close, by reading the Word of God everyday.
That is how we grow strong in Him and keep living the life God intended.
Bless you
Karen
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