“Then Elijah said to him, ‘Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.’ And he replied, ‘As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.’ So the two of them walked on.”
– 2 Kings 2:6
 Yesterday, I spoke about how God connected Elisha to his mentor, Elijah. Can you imagine the years of training and hands-on experience they shared? Now, there were whispers that Elijah was about to transition to Heaven. In 2 Kings 2:9, Elijah asks Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” I like to think that Elisha took a moment to reflect, but perhaps he blurted out, “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit.” Elijah replied, “You have asked a difficult thing, yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours; otherwise, it will not.”
As they were walking and talking together, a chariot of fire and horses of fire suddenly appeared, separating the two of them. Then, Elijah was taken up to Heaven in a whirlwind. In the Bible, Elijah is unique in that he does not die but is instead taken directly to Heaven. For much of my life, I believed Elijah was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire, often mentioned in songs. The truth is he ascended in a whirlwind, with the chariot symbolizing the separation from Elisha. Their deep connection as disciple and teacher makes me imagine Elisha grasping Elijah’s ankles, pleading, “No! No! No!” Friend, did you know that you can hold onto God this tightly? You can be deeply committed to your faith. You can be so committed to Christ and have such a strong relationship with Him that it would take heaven and earth to separate you! It’s truly possible to cling to the Lord in this way. |
Prayer
Jesus, please help me to be deeply committed to my faith.
Reflection
How can you strengthen your relationship with God so that nothing can separate you from Him?
If you’re unable to attend your local church or need some additional weekly inspiration, be sure to tune into Hour of Power online at hourofpower.org/episode.
