Heroes of the Faith, Part 7预览

Take the Initiative

Bible Story: Elisha - 1 Kings 19:19-21, 2 Kings 2:1-18

Theme Verse: Luke 11:10

It has been amazing to see the way God showed up in people’s lives throughout history. Let’s look at some more examples of faith that we can learn from in our lives. Remember the stories with Elijah and the widow, then with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel? Today we’ll learn from his successor Elisha. When Elijah recruited Elisha as a personal servant, Elisha sacrificed his oxen and burned up his plows. His response to his call for service was to burn up his old job and life.

That’s the kind of intensity that God looks for. Jesus told us to count the cost when we decide to follow Him. Are we willing to put Him first in our lives before anything else? (Luke 14:25-35) After a while, it was time for Elijah to leave earth and go to heaven. He kept pushing Elisha away, telling him to stay somewhere while Elijah went on. Elisha wouldn’t allow it. He took the initiative, did more than was asked of him, and kept traveling with his master. When they came up to the Jordan river, Elijah struck it with his cloak, and the water parted for them to walk through! That has only happened a few times in the Bible. As they were walking along, Elijah asked Elisha what he wanted.

Elisha demonstrated initiative again, asking for something bold: a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. Elijah answered that if he kept being tenacious and was there when he “died,” he would get it. Elijah died in a very spectacular way. Instead of dying like normal person, a chariot of fire swooped down and a whirlwind scooped him up and took him up to heaven! Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak and went back. At the Jordan river, he took the initiative and struck the water just like Elijah had done, and the water parted for him, too! He had faith that God would answer him and that he would be given what he asked for.

We see people with initiative in the New Testament, too. Peter told Jesus to call him out to walk on the water, and he did! A Canaanite woman persisted in asking Jesus to heal her daughter. When Jesus told her that He was only sent to the Israelites, she begged Him again, saying that it was a very small and easy thing to do, and her daughter was healed. A centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant. Recognizing Jesus as the King and ultimate authority in the universe, he asked Jesus not to come into his house but to simply say the word, and his servant was healed. This is the kind of faith that God rewards. Jesus told us that if we have faith like a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible for us. (Matthew 17:20)

I will take the initiative and put my faith into action.

Questions:

1. Is it necessary to wait for God to call you BEFORE starting a good work?

2. How far does obeying the Word of God in the Bible go?

3. What kind of initiative does God like?

Application to life:

Choose someone that you can learn from and offer to help them with something without being asked. It could be a pastor, a teacher, a parent, or someone you look up to who can teach you to follow God.