2 Kings – Chapter 2

And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 2 Kings 2:13 – In our chapter we read about the miraculous departure of Elijah. Chariots of fire and a whirlwind taking him up into Heaven, what a sight that must have been! What remained though was Elijah’s cloak, the covering that he wore that identified him as a prophet of God. In the process of him being taking up to Heaven it fell on the ground by Elisha. Yet what do we see happen with the cloak in our verse above? Elisha took up the cloak. Now we see from the chapter that Elisha had a strong desire to be Elijah’s successor. He wanted to be the Lord’s prophet in Israel, and after Elijah was taken up into Heaven that role was available to Elisha…but he had to pick it up. Him picking up the prophet’s cloak is a representation of him being willing to pick up the prophet’s role and responsibilities. You too may have some desires you are asking of the Lord. You’re asking the Lord to use you in big ways or asking Him to make a certain change in your life. Things that are certainly fine requests, but when the cloak falls in front of you are you willing to pick it up? When God brings the change, and it’s different than you expected, will you still embrace it? When God places that big way to serve Him in front of you but it’s not at all what you had in mind when you were praying, will you still serve Him? God will let the cloak fall in front of us, but are we truly willing to pick it up? Sometimes the direction God calls us is far different than we expected or prayed for, but if it’s the “cloak” God has called us to pick up, it will be the most fulfilling direction we could follow. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3068

And they said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. It may be that the Spirit of the Lord has caught him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley.” And he said, “You shall not send.” But when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, “Send.” They sent therefore fifty men. And for three days they sought him but did not find him. “And they came back to him while he was staying at Jericho, and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?” 2 Kings 2:16-18 – When we choose to not listen to wise advice we can end up wasting so much time and energy in a direction that gets us no where. When we know the advice is good our reaction to it should be to follow it. So how do we know it’s good? If it’s coming from someone who loves you and truly wants the best for you in life this a good indication that this advice is some to listen to. Also if the advice comes from scripture, that should be a sure thing for us to follow because we know it’s coming from a God that loves us and wants the best for us. While true it can be good to question what people say and test things out for yourself sometimes, if the advice is coming from a trustworthy source like scripture, the questions and testing ourselves more likely will just be a waste of your time. Be wise and listen to wise advice. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac

Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over. 2 Kings 2:14 – We must continue moving forward. Even after we’ve lost something precious to us, we must keep moving forward. Elisha just lost his master and was overwhelmed by the loss and the new found responsibility resting on his shoulders. As we see though in the next few verses, in the midst of all that, there were people dying who needed rescuing. If Elisha never crossed back over the water and allowed his grief to hold him back, the people would have continued to die from bad water. He didn’t hold back but moved forward and saw first hand how God could use him. Don’t allow your grief either to be what holds you back from moving forward. What lies ahead is God using you to bring life to people if you’re willing to let your life be used for that purpose. In order for that to take place, you have to keep moving. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1025

Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over. 2 Kings 2:14 – Elijah is gone and now all Elisha has is himself and Elijah’s cloak. Coming back to the river the two crossed earlier he cried out the question on his heart after losing his master…where is the Lord? Where is the Lord in all my heartbreak and loss and confusion? And with a smack of the cloak in the water, Elisha got his answer. Where is the Lord? Still beside you. Yes for Elisha his master was gone and now he was to take on the new position of God’s prophet in the land. He was sad, scared, and confused. Yet in all that God made sure Elisha knew that just like He was with Elijah, He’ll be with him too. Know in your story so many things may be changing. People may no longer be a part of your story, sources of security may be gone, and feelings of fear and confusion are overwhelming your mind as a result. Where is the Lord then in all this? Still beside you. Even though so many other things have changed, His position by your side hasn’t. Lean into your walk with Him for He is and will always remain by your side. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2208