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.
Two quotes: “The error youth is to believe that intelligence is a substitute for experience, while the error of age is to believe that experience is a substitute for intelligence.” Second, from Edgar Master’s Spoon River Anthology: “In youth my wings were strong and tireless, But I did not know the mountains. In age I knew the mountains but my weary wings could not follow my vision-- Genius is wisdom and youth...”
As one grows older there are lessons of life that are understood differently from those who have never gone through them. I can know truth by reading the Bible, but I understand truth by living through experiences when those truths are applied to life experiences in many ways.
We transition today from the life of Elijah to the life of Elisha. God instructed Elijah, the fiery prophet of God to mentor and prepare Elisha for the position of being a prophet. Nothing is said about who was helpful for Elijah in his earlier days, but we learn lessons of life from others in direct or indirect ways.
When I came to Stanchfield and asked people how they came to the church. The names of Melvin and Amy Christenson were mentioned as folks who invited them to their home and made them feel welcome. They introduced the visitors to others. When I met them in their older years, I found they still invited people in their home for meal.
Amy’s stroke kept her from cooking and cleaning, so all of this responsibility fell on Melvin. It would have been easy to stay at home and use his energy to care for Amy but that was not their heart. They prayed for people, had Bible studies, gave some money. I wondered after they passed away who would take up that mantle. In one sense no one could be Amy and Melvin, but in another sense that spirit of serving the Lord and reaching out to others was a needed ministry in every church. That attitude of serving instead of being served is a sign of spiritual maturity. The culture has moved over the years to pay people to do ministry instead of the emphasis that we all do ministry together for the love for God.
In our passage today we see a great saint will be taken from earth and the continued ministry will fall upon his servant, Elisha. Elisha will take up the mantle or cloak of Elijah and continue the ministry to which God has called him.
This week we will look at characteristics important in passing ministry to another.
Application: Who in your life was a mentor who influence your Christian life?
Prayer: Teach me Lord to be a better servant. May my one goal be to serve those you put in my path with a pure sensitivity to Your leading.
