The Apprentice

Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it."Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.
(2 Kings 2:14)

Elijah came upon Elisha plowing in a field. The prophet tossed his cloak upon Elisha's shoulders, thereby declaring his successor as God commanded. Elisha hedged, "Give me time to go back and kiss my mother and father goodbye." In other words, he wanted time to put his affairs in order. The prophet responded a bit sarcastically, with words to the effect, "Take all the time you want - I've only offered you MY job!" I’m paraphrasing liberally but you get the gist. This was no small thing, to be sure. When Elijah dropped his cloak on Elisha, he transferred his position, along with all his power and authority. Elisha would be THE prophet for God's people.

So Elisha followed his mentor, dropping everything. He sacrificed his plowing oxen and used the plow equipment as fuel to consume them, signifying that part of his life was over. As they journeyed, Elisha received repeated warnings that his master, Elijah, was to be called home this very day. God was taking Elijah away in a whirlwind. But Elisha already knew this in his spirit. It was the "why" behind the prophet’s "hurry up and follow me" vibe. There was a sense of urgency to his calling.

As Elijah and Elisha drew closer to their destination, the prophet tried to send his protégé on his way, signaling the end of their time together. Elijah made excuses, like, “Wait for me here.” But Elisha would not be put off so easily. He insisted on following the prophet to the end.

The two men came to a body of water, the River Jordan. Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up and touched it to the water. The waters parted and they walked across on dry land. When they reached the other side, Elijah said to his successor, "Ask of me what you will." Elisha responded, "That I would receive a double portion of your spirit." The prophet told him that was a hard thing BUT, he allowed, "If you see me taken away, your request will be granted."

Suddenly Elisha saw chariots of fire, drawn by fiery horses, descending from heaven! They swooped down between the two men and took Elijah away. Elisha cried at the sight of it, tore his garments and mourned Elijah’s “passing”. After Elisha witnessed that miracle, he gathered himself together and walked back to the river they'd crossed before. He touched Elijah’s mantle, now his, to the water and cried, "Where is the God of Elijah?" And the waters parted before him, too. Same God. Same miracle. Same power.

God said to Moses, "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.' (Exodus 3:14-15)

His personal name – the name he revealed to Moses – has become a promise for me, as he meant it to be: I am. When I was afraid that I would lose my home, I prayed and He responded, “I am your shelter.” I lost my job and so I prayed and He answered, “I am your provider.” I left my husband, my security, to start all over again. I cried out to God and his name declared, “I am your husband,” to me. Time and again, God has proven and shown himself strong on my behalf. I think the only way to truly know him is to need him - to be at the end of your rope. He gave us a basis for trusting him when he identified himself as the same God who dealt with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. His reputation precedes him. He wants us to know him by his miracles and make the connection that he will do the same for us.

While working at the call center, I made many friends – some of us are still friends to this day, some 10-15 years later. One of my friends was a new Christian like me and totally in love with the Lord. Back then, we would fantasize about being called into his service to do great things. We wanted to be used and know God like the heroes of Biblical times. My friend had a saying: Lord, I wanna know you like I KNOW you! Meaning, she wanted to have an intimate relationship with God. We both wanted to be able to say, “The God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and ME!” We yearned for more, not actually realizing the extent of what we were asking. I have since come to the realization that the only one way to KNOW God that way is by having him repeatedly snatch you from the fire!

Recently, another friend asked me to pray for her because she felt I could “get a prayer through.” As if, I had some special power to influence God. I laughed (but I also prayed). I know God loves me and he hears me but I’m not arrogant enough to believe he hears me anymore than he hears anyone else. Actually, I’ve usually been that person in the past who has asked other, powerful praying people, to pray for me! It was funny and ironic that she asked that of me.

But it made me think: Did these prayer warriors have more sway with God than I did? Do I have more than my friend? I didn’t think so. Like Elisha, I’ve seen some of his glory – I know what he can do. Based on who he has revealed himself to be throughout the Bible and what he has done for me, I feel I can go to him and ask: “Where is the God of Elijah? Where is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? You did it for them; surely you can perform a miracle for me! I need you to be my God, too, here and now.” Then I hope and hold on, waiting for him to perform it because he’s been my salvation many times. When I ask Him to show up, I believe He will.

It came to me today, that the mantle and authority is still being passed – the power is no longer in the garment but in the relationship. It rests on me; it rests on you and all of us who are seeking that closer relationship with God and desire to be used by him. You, too, can go boldly to his throne because He is not a “respecter of persons” or, of your station in life. That is to say, you don’t need someone else (minister, prayer warrior, or me ;) LOL) to speak on your behalf. You can say, “Where is this God of Elijah? Of Elisha? Of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Of Loria? I need you to be there for me, like you were there for them.” And then you will see your own miracle.

Be blessed,

Loria