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.scripturalnuggets.org ), Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org , ]]>
(To access the entire “Lessons From Elisha” mini-series, please click here.)