Wait Here

• Printable Version - Share on Facebook - Posted by Dion Todd March 29, 2022 - Filed in Devotional - 3,392 views
  Elijah said to him, "Elisha, please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me to Jericho." He said, "As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho. The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came near to Elisha, and said to him, "Do you know that Yahweh will take away your master from over you today?" He answered, "Yes, I know it. Hold your peace." Elijah said to him, "Please wait here, for Yahweh has sent me to the Jordan." He said, "As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." Then they both went on. 2 Kings 2:4-6 WEB.
  
  The servant Elisha had worked for the prophet Elijah several years when he suddenly asked him to wait there. Elisha emphatically said no and kept following him. Elijah asked him to stay behind three times at different locations, and Elisha refused him three times. Elisha wouldn't take no for an answer. Because of that, he inherited a double portion anointing and lived the life of miracles we read about today in our bible.
  
  There were many other prophets besides Elisha, fifty at Jericho alone. All of these stayed behind and missed the anointing Elisha received. If Elisha had listened to those over him and remained rooted in place as they asked him to, he would have missed the best part of his life, his destiny.
  
  There have been three times in my life when after serving faithfully somewhere for years, God told us it was time to move on. Twice at a church, once at a ministry. It happened all three times during a season of fasting inspired by Him, and He didn't tell those over us.
  
  Anytime you feel led to fast, it's the Holy Spirit, for the flesh likes to feast. Jesus was driven by the Spirit into the wilderness to spend time fasting and praying, and He came out in the power of the Spirit (Mark 1:12, Luke 4:14). During those seasons of praying and fasting, our spirits became restless and hungry for more.
  
  When the Lord told us it was time to move on, all three times, we were told by the ones over us to wait. Yet, we could feel an urgency in our spirit that we had to go. The leaders meant well, and we received the usual one-on-one sermons about faithfulness, dedication, and rewards for those who wait. Yet, God told us to do something else, and He didn't tell them. The Lord spoke directly to young Samuel, yet, He didn't tell the high priest Eli who was sleeping down the hall (1 Samuel 3:8).
  
  The first time it happened, we tried to stay longer, and it became very messy. The anointing on our lives dried completely up. It would have been better for everyone involved if we had obeyed God and left gracefully when He first told us to. Instead, we tried it their way, and we found that there is no drama like church drama.
  
  After taking some time off to heal, God plugged us in somewhere else, and the Spirit began to flow in our lives once again. We would get drafted into the tech team, advance in our knowledge, and learn increasingly complicated equipment each time. The Lord used on-the-job training to teach us what we needed to know to start Refreshing Hope Ministries.
  
  The Lord wanted to teach us skills we would need later in ministry, but the previous church leadership could never see that. All they could see was they were losing the tech team. Yet, if we had stayed there to appease them, we wouldn't be in ministry today.
  
  There will be times when you have to choose between heeding God or man. When you choose to obey man instead, you will stall in your journey with the Lord. This choice will usually involve making a difficult decision that some people don't like.
  
  You need to be prayerfully careful. Yet, when God calls you to do something, He may only tell you about it. So be sure to keep yourself humble during this time with fasting and prayer because pride will blind you. Sometimes, to follow God, you just can't accept "Wait Here" as the answer.
  
  Prayer: Heavenly Father, please give me a clear vision and put me where You want me to be. Speak to me in a clear, unmistakable way I can understand. Give me the grace to live this life and help me make the right decisions. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!
  
  Note: For those following the Creation Photography weekly challenges, here is this week's theme from group leader, Dianna Wyles: Song of Solomon 2:12-13 "The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away." ~ Our next fun-loving theme will be 'Spring Fever'and is open wide for creative interpretation as always. You are also encouraged to post anything else that inspires you as well. My photos this week show what spring looks like in Northern California. The vibrant colors, the wonderful sights and sounds of creatures waking up to play, mate, and recreate, the sunny mild weather making it possible to venture outdoors, new growth, rebirth, and planting season. May you be blessed with beautiful flowers, tender grapes growing, song birds singing, turtles vocalizing, and the voice of the Father in your hearts always ~ God bless! Here is the link: Creation Photographers
  
  
  

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