18/12/2015 - LET YOURSELF BE LED BY THE SPIRIT

• 
• 
• 
• 

Then one said, “Please consent to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.” 2 Kings 6.3

There are occurrences in our lives that are part the Lord’s purpose, but we do not always understand them. As we grow in faith and grace, we see that nothing, absolutely nothing is outside of God’s permission. In His great wisdom, He knows how to guide us to the place that is best for us and for His work. Therefore, we must be always watchful, for the Holy Spirit will tell us if we listen to Him (Jo 16.13).

Elisha’s workers asked for his authorization to increase the place where they lived (2 Kg 6.1). Since it was a reasonable request, the prophet authorized them. Every leader must be sensitive to the Most High’s training to his workers, for they also need to grow in understanding and faith. Then, when the day comes for them to be used, they will know how to execute the divine will. An evil master never teaches his own pupils.

When one of them received this favorable answer, he felt it would be good to have Elisha together with them. He consented and went with them. In this passage it is clear that the tasks should be done with proper teamwork, like Jesus taught (Lk 10.10). However, the responsibility of the leaders is unquestionable, and he must only answer the requests when they are testified by God. This serves for the leader of the church, the company, an association, or a house.

Receiving a ‘yes’ from someone who is leading the Lord’s work is important, but undoubtedly, a man of God must be in the spirit to feel if he should approve or not the requests, because he cannot have favorites or show special interest for any people. The leaders’ relatives must be placed in a condition of equality with all others. On the contrary, there will be the action of demons working in the decisions, and this is very serious.

When they were cutting the wood, one of them shouted because the axe was borrowed and fell on the water. The immature in the faith always get borrowed tools. Now, a preacher cannot minister like a parrot, which imitates the words of another servant of the Most High, even if he may be a very important person. We must receive all that we will share from the Lord, as Paul teaches in the text of the Holy Supper (1 Co 11.23).

When he found out where the tool had fallen, the prophet caught a stick of a tree and threw it in the water, making the axe float. This was one of the most amazing miracles seen, for the law of gravity was removed from the water. The Lord operated this miracle in something simple. May this serve as a lesson for the children of God! For His Word to be confirmed, it does not matter the material value of things, but the praise that will be given to the Creator.

This miracle teaches us that the divine power does not stop working for a servant of God, even if the loss may be small and repaired with amendments. What those young workers saw must have helped in their own faith, and probably, many of them made great acts of faith after this learning experience.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares