Written by: John Sernaque
Call to Worship
2 Kings 2: 1-6
2:1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.
2:2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said [unto him, As] the LORD liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
2:3 And the sons of the prophets that [were] at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know [it]; hold ye your peace.
2:4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, [As] the LORD liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.
2:5 And the sons of the prophets that [were] at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know [it]; hold ye your peace.
2:6 And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, [As] the LORD liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.
Some Need Many Moves—
Again, God sees that a worker needs to be more closely associated with Him; and to bring this about, He separates him from friends and acquaintances. When He was preparing Elijah for translation, He moved him from place to place that he might not settle down at ease, and thus fail of obtaining spiritual power. And it was God’s design that Elijah’s influence should be a power to help many souls to gain a wider, more helpful experience. {2BC 1036.4}
Let those who are not permitted to rest in quietude, who must be continually on the move, pitching their tent tonight in one place, and tomorrow night in another place, remember that the Lord is leading them, and that this is His way of helping them to form perfect characters. In all the changes that we are required to make, God is to be recognized as our companion, our guide, our dependence (The Review and Herald, May 2, 1907). {2BC 1036.5}
On the surface, there may seem to be obvious reasons for you to relocate. Maybe it is a new job or a new relationship. Maybe a loss of a family member, the loss of a job or your house. There may be good or bad reasons you think have led you to move from one location to another. However, God will turn any situation for good to those that love Him. God will use you in ways unbeknown to you. God will draw you closer to Him, which sometimes means separating you from the comfort of one place to do a work where needed most. Some will move more than others, like Elijah. God moved him from place to place that he might not settle down in comfort, and not obtain the spiritual power. It was God’s plan that Elijah influence many souls to gain a wider, more spiritual experience. God may move you from place to place, leading you and helping you to form perfect characters. We are to put all our faith and trust in God. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
Our Father, which art in Heaven,
We come to the foot of Your throne in thanksgiving, praise, and prayer. We thank You so much for leading and guiding us, and keeping us on a safe path. We pray for You to continue to pour out Your Spirit upon us. Grant us Your power, strength, courage, wisdom, understanding, and discernment to do what is right, favorable, and well pleasing in Your sight. Help us as we go from place to place teaching, preaching, evangelizing, and spreading the good news of Your second coming. Help us in building our characters as Bible workers. Help us as You helped Elijah visit the Schools of the Prophets and instruct the students on the most important lessons of their education. Let the Bible be their first and final authority in their education to go forth in doing the work of the Lord. We submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit to do a work in us as we exercise a living faith in You. We pray to receive a double portion of the spirit, as Elisha did, and unite with the spirit of Christ Jesus our Lord in heaven. We pray to obey the Word of the Lord at all times, not wavering from left to right as the reed tossed in the wind. We pray to be in total harmony in obeying Your directions. Speak to us, Dear Lord. We pray to hear your voice, receive and understand Your message to us, to follow Thee wherever You lead. We pray to walk with You, as Enoch did, not by might nor power, but by Your spirit. Help us to follow the examples of the work of reform carried out by Elijah and Elisha. Help us to be humble in doing the work of presenting the truth to those in need of light. Thank You for being our God, companion, friend, and guide. We thank You for hearing and answering our prayers, in the name of Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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