Prepare to Be Blown Away: A Preview of Elisha
Oh, Lord, open the eyes of our hearts.
Ephesians 1:16-19 (ESV)
16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.
Psalm 105:1-6 (ESV)
1 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
3 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
4 Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
5 Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
6 O offspring of Abraham, his servant,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones!
Digging into God’s Word
As we get ready to study the life of Elisha, we need to prepare our hearts and minds for what is to come. A lot of strange and mysterious things happen in Elisha’s life. They don’t fit into our safe little manila Christian file folders.
Where do we neatly file his mentor, Elijah, being taken up to heaven in a whirlwind? Or meager drops of oil multiplying to fill many jars? Do we file in the same folder a woman bearing a son because the prophet said she would? The same son, lying dead, being raised to life because Elisha laid on him?
When was the last time you heard a sermon about Elisha’s spirit being present–at a distance from Elisha–when his servant dishonestly took money from Naaman?
In what organized faith drawer do we place a mountain full of horses and chariots of fire, invisible to natural eyes? A deadly famine broken overnight because the Lord caused the Aramean army to flee? A dead man, thrown into Elisha’s grave, springing to life because his body merely touched Elisha’s bones?
None of these make sense. They stay deadly still in the confines of our zippered Bibles because they sit well outside our safe, distant experiences with God.
What if we bravely unzipped the Bible cover and opened our hearts to the miraculous workings of God in our world?
What if we respected the Holy Spirit falling fresh, the worshiper sprawled on the floor, the awestruck shout of God-joy? What if we opened ourselves to Elisha experiences and wholeheartedly trusted God to multiply our oil, fight the spiritual battle, and heal our diseases?
Digging Deeper
As you are able, spend time with God, reflecting on these questions or journaling your thoughts.
- Where did you notice God at work in your life today or this week? If you didn’t notice, ask God to help you notice His work this week. Ask Him to give you His Spirit of wisdom and of revelation and for your heart to be enlightened (Ephesians 1:17-18).
- What types of Christian spiritual experiences make you uncomfortable, either to witness or experience? Try to identify what causes the discomfort. I make no judgments here! It is very normal to feel unsettled by experiences unfamiliar to us, and sometimes that unsettled feeling is God-given conscience if the practice is unbiblical. But if the practice is not unbiblical, pray and ask God to soften your heart to it.
- In what areas of your walk with Jesus would you like to become more intimate? Have a conversation with the Lord about this area, asking for insight and relationship.
We live in a time when God is at work in obvious and miraculous ways in the world. So He was in the times of the prophets. In this series we will look at Elisha: the man with the double portion of the Spirit’s power from Elijah. Hold onto your hats, and prepare to be blown away by God’s power and His miraculous working in Elisha’s life. Oh, that we may experience the same.
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