Would you stand?

At times it is unfortunate that the people who mean good for us sometimes stand in the way of our blessings. When we look at Elisha’s story it’s unbelievable that his fellow prophets would discourage him from pursuing his blessing.

Elisha knew without a doubt what he wanted to inherit from Elijah. But the sons of the prophets stood on his way not on one occasion but twice! They met them at Bethel and approached Elisha told him that the Lord was taking away Elijah from him. But he silenced them. Then the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho met them at Jericho and informed him about his master being taken away from him, and again he silenced them. Then fifty sons of the prophet assembled opposite the Jordan to see what would happen to them.

Elijah also requested Elisha to be left behind on three occasions but Elisha didn’t let him out of sight for he knew what he desired from his master. After crossing the Jordan, Elijah asked Elisha what he wanted him to do for him before he was taken up to heaven. This was the moment that Elisha was waiting for all this time. He asked for a double portion of his spirit; he wanted to operate in his blessing. Then Elijah told that if he saw him being taken away then he would receive his request. Am sure there were a lot of distractions at the place even from the fifty sons of the prophets gathered opposite them. But Elisha focused on what he desired. He made sure he saw Elijah being taken away by the chariots & horses of fire as he ascended to heaven in whirlwind. Elisha received his heart’s desire. He picked up Elijah’s mantle that had fallen from him stood at the bank of the Jordan and with it hit the waters and it divided into two.

When the prophets saw this, they knew that Elijah’s sprit now rested on Elisha and came and bowed before him displaying respect & honor. After this we see Elisha performing great miracles e.g. he made the unproductive waters pure and the crops became productive. Since the encounter at Jordan River, Elisha operated in the miraculous just it was his heart’s desire. He restored back to life the son of a Shunammite woman.

Looking at this story we see that the sons of the prophets either meant good for Elisha, they knew that his master Elijah would be taken away from him by the Lord and they knew that Elisha was very close to him. To save him from the agony that he would face when Elijah was taken away, they asked him to stop following his master around and to leave him. Regardless of all efforts to discourage him from getting the double portion anointing, Elisha stood his ground and waited till the last moment for him to receive his miracle.

Many of us as Christians find it hard to press on to see our miracle. We listen to the voices around us, who may seem like they wish good for us. But we should train our minds not to stop at the discouragements and learn to silence those voices.  Instead of holding a conversation with them! Stand tall and press on to that life changing miracle like Elisha did.