Lessons From Elisha, Part 3
Going Your own Way
There are MANY lessons that
we can learn from the prophet Elisha. This is the third of
series focusing on the life of this great prophet.
"'Look,' they said, 'we your servants have fifty able
men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the
Spirit of the LORD has picked him up and set him down on
some mountain or in some valley.' 'No,' Elisha replied, 'do
not send them.' But they persisted until he was too ashamed
to refuse. So he said, 'Send them.' And they sent fifty men,
who searched for three days but did not find him. When they
returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to
them, 'Didn't I tell you not to go?'" (2 Kings 2:16-18)
We take up the story just as Elisha returns from witnessing
the ascension of Elijah into Heaven. Seeing that Elisha is
returning alone, the sons of the prophets say, "Let them
go and look for your master!" Elisha's initial response
is understandable: "No!" After all, he has just seen
Elijah taken up to Heaven with a chariot of fire. He knows
Elijah cannot be found, because he is no longer on Earth.
But the sons of the prophets persist until Elisha gives in.
Why would Elisha give in, when he knows they will search in
vain?
Because Elisha realized something very important: They
needed to see for themselves!
And through it all, these prophets learned a valuable
lesson: When God tells you something -- either directly or
through a prophet or through His Word -- you listen! You pay
attention! You believe!
But God understands that we don't always have that kind of
faith. He recognizes that there is often so much going on in
our lives that our "listening skills" suffer. He knows that
sometimes, in order for us to grow in our faith and refine
our abilities to hear His voice, He has to let us do certain
things that He knows is not best for us. So He allows us to
make our own choices, to go our own way. Just like Elisha
would have loved to spare those 50 men the trouble of
looking for Elijah, God would love to spare us the troubles
He knows we will encounter when we insist on doing our own
thing. But He, like Elisha, is waiting with open arms for us
to return, to lovingly whisper in our ears, "Didn't I
tell you not to go?"
The next time you find yourself facing troubles brought on
by the decisions you have freely made, remember that God
would have spared you the trouble, had you followed His
advice. But despite it all, He is waiting for you to return
to His way, to His plan, so that the blessings may freely
flow.
Love in Christ,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart,
Moderator, The Nugget, Scriptural Nuggets (
www.sermonillustrator.org/minisermons/ ), Answers2Prayer Ministries,
www.Answers2Prayer.org ,