"Elisha left the oxen standing there, ran after Elijah, and said to him, “First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you!” Elijah replied, “Go on back, but think about what I have done to you.” 1 Kings 19:20
When we think about the word faith, we often think of it as a noun. We view it as something that we possess. The truth is that faith carries with it a verbal component. After all, if you have faith in something, you act on it. For example, if I have faith that a chair will support me, I will sit down in it. Faith demands a response, even when the thing that God is calling us to do does not make sense.
When Elisha was given a unique call to be one of God’s prophets in 1 Kings 19:19-21, he had a decision to make: How would he respond? This call came when Elijah, a prophet, went to Elisha and “threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away” (verse 20). We learned in the weekend sermon that this was an invitation for Elisha to follow Elijah and become a prophet. This invitation was an honor, but it would also be a different way of living. It would be a completely different career move as he was a farmer working in the field. Many in his situation would have been a little bit confused. Some would have asked God if they were the right people for this task. Some would ask for more details about what they were asked to do. They would ask what to expect life to look like before making a decision. Elisha did none of these things. Instead, with much uncertainty and little detail, Elisha said to Elijah, “First let me go and kiss my father and mother good-bye, and then I will go with you” (verse 20). Elisha went and said yes without having all of the details and knowing all of the answers. He went because He trusted God’s plan. This is what it means to respond in faith.
What about you? How do you respond when God calls you to do something that does not make sense, or there is little detail? It may be to forgive someone, shift your career path, or show generosity even though finances are challenging for you. How will you respond? Let’s commit to being people who commit to obey, saying “yes” to God even when it does not make sense and even when we do not have all of the details.
Is there something God has called you to do that does not make sense to you and will certainly not make sense to the rest of the world? What is it? Spend the next few moments praying about it. Then, respond to God’s call with “yes” and begin taking steps of faith in responding to His call.
1 Kings 19:19-21 (NLT)
"So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”
“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”
21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant."
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