Faithfulness

When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal. And Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for the LORD has told me to go to Bethel.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you!” So they went down together to Bethel. [2 Kings 2.1-2]

It may seem odd or contradictory to discuss patience and persistence today following what I posted yesterday (Insanity?). However, there seems to me a difference worth pointing out...

In yesterday's reading, wicked king Ahaziah of Israel sent a captain and fifty men three different times to fetch Elijah. It was only the third time that the captain, not Ahaziah, figured out something had to be done differently or else he and his men would die like the first two groups that had been sent.

In the case of Ahaziah summoning Elijah, it was indeed pure insanity to keep doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. Without the wisdom (fear) of the third captain, there is no telling how many souls could have perished. In fact, it was not wisdom guiding Ahaziah, but pure selfishness.

In contrast, in the case of Elisha and Elijah, God had obviously spoken to Elisha about Elijah's pending departure. It is quite appropriate and faithful in such a circumstance where God has actually spoken to be persistent as Elisha demonstrated!

Today, we benefit from both stories. As we journey through life, we have repeated opportunities to see God move. We have Ahaziah's story to cause us to be sure our motives are not selfish, and, we have Elisha's story to cause us to stay committed when we know God has spoken (by His Word).

So, at the root of it all, it is most important that we know what God has said about any particular direction in our lives. Once we know what God has said, then we can be persistent in our pursuit of it!

God's Word addresses all kinds of situations and motives. In most of our life situations, the Word of God has, at very least, indirectly addressed our circumstances, and, in many cases, spoken directly to them. Again, once we know what God has said, then we can be persistent in pursuing it. This persistence will prove to our credit in faithfulness. And, what we all want to hear when we stand before our Father is, "Well done good and faithful servant!"

Father, help me to be sure I know Your Word and Your heart about every direction in my life so I know what to stay faithful to and what to abandon (because of selfishness).