Friends in Christ Weekly Message
February 21, 2009

     Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and hit the water with it. The river divided and the two men walked through on dry land.
     When they reached the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “What can I do for you before I'm taken from you? Ask anything.”
     Elisha said, “Your life repeated in my life. I want to be a holy man just like you.”
     “That's a hard one!” said Elijah. “But if you're watching when I'm taken from you, you'll get what you've asked for. But only if you're watching.”
     And so it happened. They were walking along and talking. Suddenly a chariot and horses of fire came between them and Elijah went up in a whirlwind to heaven. Elisha saw it all and shouted, “My father, my father! You - the chariot and cavalry of Israel!” When he could no longer see anything, he grabbed his robe and ripped it to pieces.
2 Kings 2:8-12 (Message*)

What do we wish for in life? Elisha's most fervent desire was that he would be as holy, as devoted to listening and following God, as Elijah. He understood the value of being a vessel of God's power in the world. His reference to Elijah as being “the chariot and cavalry of Israel” was an acknowledgment that true power for good comes from faithfulness not from the weapons of this world.

What is your deepest desire? Is it that you live in the power of the Holy Spirit? Do you recognize that this is the true source of power for good, rather than the things humans usually use to try to achieve power?

Bill Samuel

* The Message version ©1993-2002 by Eugene H. Peterson.

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