SDfAoWOP: Elisha

Day Thirty-Four

II Kings 2:12

And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.

A double measure of blessing. A greater amount of power. Elisha wanted the blessing and glory of God that had been on Elijah to fall on him. Elisha follows after Elijah, running after the Lord's strength, the Lord's word, keeping up, breathless. If you see me caught up, says Elijah, if you see me as I go up before your eyes, then you what you long for will be yours. Keep your eyes fixed, your heart and steps sure. Elisha runs. His eyes are not drawn away. He watches and runs.

Does your gaze sometimes waver from your Lord? Do you sometimes find yourself out of breath and lost even, having stumbled in the way? Lift up your eyes. Lift them up to the help that comes.

Elisha stands and watches as the chariots of The Lord, the horsemen of his might and glory, catch Elijah up in a whirl of fire. My father, he cries. Again, my father.

Another will stand, much later, suspended between heaven and earth, crying 'My Father', but no horseman will come, no chariot. The fire of The Lord's great wrath will consume him.

Elisha catches up the mantle of Elijah and his blessing and strikes out to go back into the wickedness and sin of the world. But his eyes have seen and beheld the glory of the Father, and he will not got lost or lose his way, or perish.