June 15 - 2 Kings 2:1-25 | 2 Kings 4:1-44

Good morning everyone,

The Bible is so amazing. I find almost every day is another “Oh, that’s another one of my favorite stories” day, and today is no different. When I read about Elijah and Elisha, the names kind of make me chuckle reminding me of my own daughters names, as in the english language they sound so familiar. My oldest daughter I named Kari, I love the name and she wears it well. My younger daughter I named Karin, now I know it seems I lacked imagination and creativity, but there was a method to my madness I may share someday, but for now let’s, for a moment, look at these gentlemen’s names. 

In the Hebrew when you see the word “El” in a name it means God. The “i” means “my” so the name Eli translates to “my God.” Elijah means "My God is the Yahweh," or "My God is the LORD."  Elisha means "My God is salvation."  Together the two prophets will travel on a journey, wandering around the Jordan River valley meeting minor obstacles while Elijah-My God is the Yahweh mentors Elisha-My God is salvation. Elijah giving Elisha every opportunity to walk away, but each time Elisha would tell him, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” 

When they get to the Jordan River, Elijah rolls up his cloak, struck the water with it and the water divided so that they could walk across on dry ground. 2:9 tells us, “When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. It was a request to carry on Elijah’s ministry. Then suddenly, (this is a mind’s eye moment friends) verse 11,  a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Do you think he was waving good-bye? How amazing would that be!?! Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father!” 

For seven or eight years Elisha was Elijah's close attendant, his confidant,his friend. He loved him and so while sad, I’m sure, he turns in the wake of that amazing chariot, picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen and went back to the bank of the Jordan where his first miracle of his ministry would be the exact same as the the last one of Elijah’s.

So how does this apply to you or to me today? Well, no matter the task, we all need mentors in our lives, we learn by example, right? The more important the venture is, the more important it is that you, that we all, have a mentor. Getting to to know God as intimately as you can and passing that information along, is a pretty big undertaking, I would say, definitely a great area to have a mentor in place. Our mentors don’t necessarily have to be someone we see every day, someone we know or even someone who is alive. One of my biggest mentors (is that how you would say that?) a person I most strive to be like, though he has moved to heaven now, is Pastor Chuck Smith. Oh, I never met the man but his calm, his peace that surpassed all understanding, his undeniable love for the Lord, will be forever seared in my mind’s eye from the few times I saw him interviewed online or heard him speak on the radio. I want, I desperately want what he had here on earth so it is from his books and the memory of the way he conducted his self that I try to pattern my life.

Who do you pattern your life after? What do you read that influences you? What programs do you watch that serves to effect your behavior and speech. Who is your mentor? Jesus made His style of mentoring clear: He led so that we can follow. He said, “If anyone will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me” and Paul said “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.” I like that. Amen?

Have a great day and to God be the glory.

God bless your day …