Have you ever wondered, "why do we read the Bible?" Often we do it out of habit, or discipline, or a desire to learn something about God. But have you ever stopped to realize that it is the means by which God communicates with us? Sometimes this seems difficult to believe, especially when we are reading the Old Testament. We either get freaked out by the sacrifices or bored with the details.
Today, out of discipline, I was reading my Bible. The passage that my reading program (again, habit) had to read was 2 Kings 1-4. When I initially saw that I had to start there, I thought, "Great, I really need to be encouraged, not discouraged by a bunch of wayward and wicked Kings." But, once again, God showed me His humor and love.
As I read about the end of Elijah's ministry and the beginning of Elisha's, I was amazed. I read how Elisha doggedly followed Elijah wanting to "have what he had". He recognized that Elijah was indeed a "holy man". He knew that Elijah talked to God and he wanted the same relationship. Then, I read as Elijah was taken up in the chariot Elisha grabbed on to his cloak. He assumed his "mantel". Then, the next 3 chapters tell of the incredible start to Elisha's work - how he parted the waters, "healed" the waters with some salt, provided for a widow miracously with her small "investment" of oil, brought the boy back to life, "fixed" the spoiled stew, and fed many people with a few loaves. Amazing stuff!
Now, one might wonder, what does God want to communicate through all that? Are we being called to heal and part waters and cure waters and miraculously feed hundreds? Maybe. But what God wanted to communicate to me today was this: "Tim, you have many things to do over the next few days, weeks, and months. Don't you think that if I can do all of these incredibly miraculous things through Elisha, that I maybe could handle a few of the details of your life?"
Now obviously I did not hear a voice say that. But my spirit was encouraged with that comforting thought. My God is a God of miracles - great and small. All He desires is that we chase after Him with wild abandon and allow Him to do the work through us.
Pretty comforting stuff, don't you think?
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