Persistence
If I’m anything, I’m persistent. But that still doesn’t stop the interference of Satan or the flesh of Shari that often arises in the form of discouragement or aggravation. I’m persistent… not patient. And there’s always plenty of avenues to take to another direction, re-plan the plan, so to speak; and plenty of people to tell you that perhaps that wasn’t God’s plan for you after all. So how do you know that you know? The same way everyone who’s been anyone has known for thousands of years, Stop, drop and listen, that’s how I roll! It was how Elijah and Elisha rolled as well in 1st and 2nd Kings.
Now… I’m not in the league of either. But I serve the same God. Elijah stopped the rain, and then started the rain in 1 Kings 17 and 18.
And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
41And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, 43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. 44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop thee not.
Seven times Elijah sent his servant up to look toward the sea. Six times there was nothing, and the seventh time there but a little cloud the size of a man’s hand. But Elijah wasn’t concerned with the size of the cloud, because he knew from his perspective something that looked small was anything but from God’s perspective it was an abundance. Elijah believed that before the first drop appeared because he’d heard it from God (vs. 41).
The things that God spoke into my heart in 2010… (7 years ago) have yet to come to pass. But God continues to say serve. He continues to say serve where I am. It ain’t easy. But He never promised that it would be. I’m waiting for the mantle to fall.
So was Elisha the successor to Elijah. He too believed in his calling. When he received word that Elijah’s job was about to be open he never left Elijah’s side, even though Elijah said stay.
Elijah said I’m going to Bethel, you stay here. Elisha went to Bethel.
Elijah told Elisha to tarry there, he was going to Jericho. Elisha went to Jericho.
Elijah told him to tarry there, he was going to Jordan. Elisha went to Jordan.
Elisha was persistent. He persisted until the mantle of Elijah rested on his shoulders and he received a double portion of his spirit.
Elijah’s seven time miracle of the rain, was followed by Elisha having two seven time miracles.
When the child died who he had blessed the Shunemite family with, Elisha in faith brought the child back and seven times the child sneezed when he was revived. And when Naaman was afflicted with leprosy, Elisha instructed him to dip in the Jordan seven times and be healed and so he was. Elisha proved the double portion blessing of Elijah more than once, but he wouldn’t have proven it once if he hadn’t have persisted when Elijah said stay.
And so it was my word this morning as I arose at the crack of dawn and God said read… and then said write… and then said… persist. And so it now is our word. Yours and mine. Because I don’t believe for a second this message is only mine, else God would have stopped with read…
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