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2 Kings 6 | 1 Timothy 3 | Daniel 10 | Psalm 119:1–24

Despite the fact that Elisha healed Naaman, the commander of Syria’s army in 2 Kings 5, Syria nevertheless attempts to capture Elisha in 2 Kings 6. The reason for turning against Elisha is simple: he had prophesied military intelligence about the Syrians to Israel’s king (2 Kgs. 6:12). But when the king of Syria sends his army to capture Elisha, Yahweh protects Elisha—much in the same way that Yahweh had protected Elijah from King Ahaziah with fire from heaven in 2 Kings 1. Elisha’s servant is terrified at the sight of the Syrian army, but Elisha calms him by explaining, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kgs. 6:16). After Elisha prays, Yahweh opens the servant’s eyes so that he sees the reality: the mountains are full of horses and chariots of fire sent to protect them (2 Kgs. 6:17).

But rather than annihilating the Syrian army at once, Elisha simply prays that Yahweh would strike the Syrians with blindness (2 Kgs. 6:18), and then (humorously), Elisha leads the blinded army directly into Samaria, the capital of Israel. When the king of Israel asks whether he should strike them down (2 Kgs. 6:21), Elisha insists that the king should instead show them hospitality by sparing their lives, feeding them, and sending them on their way (2 Kgs. 6:22). It seems that this act of mercy does the trick, since we read that, ultimately, “the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel” (2 Kgs. 6:23).

This is a magnificent passage to help believers understand how to face fears in our lives. Our Lord Jesus has promised that he would be with us always, to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20), so that we may have confidence that Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). And if Jesus promises to remain by our side, we must also remember that Jesus is the commander of the army of Yahweh (Josh. 5:14), which means that he brings with him all the chariots of fire from heaven in our defense.

Put another way, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31). No power in heaven or on earth or under the earth can stand against us if God himself is for us—and if God didn’t even spare his only Son for us, but freely handed his Son over to die in our place because of his great love for us, then how will God not graciously protect us now (Rom. 8:32)?

No matter what armies may surround you, pray that God might open the eyes of your heart to remember that “he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

2 Kings 5 | 1 Timothy 2 | Daniel 9 | Psalms 117–118

We first read of Israel’s battles with Syria during the reign of King David (cf. 2 Sam. 8, 10), but these conflicts escalate significantly during the reign of King Ahab (cf. 1 Kgs. 20, 22). In 2 Kings 5, we meet Naaman, the mighty commander of Syria’s army—the man who had gained the favor of his king “because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria” (2 Kgs. 5:1). Despite Naaman’s greatness, he nevertheless suffers from leprosy (2 Kgs. 5:1), and in order for God to heal him, Naaman must be humbled in two major ways.

First, Naaman must humble himself by listening to the advice of an Israelite slave girl whom Naaman had carried off from Israel during one his raids (2 Kgs. 5:2). The girl tells Naaman’s wife, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy” (2 Kgs. 5:3). What would an Israelite slave girl know that a mighty Syrian military commander would not? Nevertheless, Naaman follows the girl’s suggestion.

Second, Naaman must humble himself when he finally meets with Elisha, because the prophet instructs him to do something mortifying: “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean” (2 Kgs. 5:10). At first, Naaman refuses the thought of washing in the filthy Jordan River until his servants ask, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” (2 Kgs. 5:13). And when Naaman humbles himself to do what Elisha tells him to do, his flesh is restored (2 Kgs. 5:14). What a marvelous picture of the gospel—a sin-sick man humbling himself to be washed clean at the word of God!

But the story doesn’t quite end there. Although Elisha refuses to receive any payment from Naaman for the healing that God has provided, Elisha’s servant Gehazi lies both to Naaman (2 Kgs. 5:22) and then to Elisha (2 Kgs. 5:25) to take for himself the reward. Heartbroken, Elisha tells Gehazi, “Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever” (2 Kgs. 5:27).

This story announces both the hope and the warning of the gospel. On the one hand, the gospel proclaims that all those who humble themselves to be washed with the blood of Jesus through faith will find themselves baptized clean from the defilements of sin, just as Naaman himself was washed clean. On the other hand, the gospel also warns any who would seek to use the great news of Jesus as an instrument for personal gain. Reject any temptation to seek after petty desires for personal enrichment and instead embrace the cleanness that Jesus offers in the gospel.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

2 Kings 4 | 1 Timothy 1 | Daniel 8 | Psalm 116

In 2 Kings 4, we learn that the ministry of Elisha doesn’t simply pick up where Elijah left off—rather, Elisha actually mirrors the ministry of Elijah, and in doing so, his ministry points forward to a greater prophet yet to come. So, Elisha saves a widow and her sons who were in a desperate financial situation through a multiplication miracle (2 Kgs. 4:1–7), and he raises up another woman’s son who had died (2 Kgs. 4:18–37). Both of these sound almost exactly like the miracles of Elijah to spare the widow of Zarephath by causing her flour and oil jugs not to run out through the famine (1 Kgs. 17:8–16) and by raising up the widow’s son who had died (1 Kgs. 17:17–24).

But, we also read that Elisha’s ministry extends beyond what Elijah had done. As we come upon yet one more barren woman in the story of the Bible, Elisha prophesies to her that she will conceive and bear a son (2 Kgs. 4:16)—the same son whom Elisha raises up when he dies. Then, when the sons of the prophets find death in their pot of stew (probably some kind of food poisoning), Elisha miraculously heals the stew by throwing flour in the pot (2 Kgs. 4:41). Afterward, when a man comes to this meal from Baal-shalishah carrying barley loaves, Elisha commands the man to give the food to the sons of the prophets. Despite the man’s concerns that there would not be enough for everyone, Elisha prophesies that they would all eat, and that there would be food left over (2 Kgs. 4:42–44).

Taken together, the reports from Elijah’s and Elisha’s prophetic ministries point forward to the greater prophetic ministry of Jesus Christ. Consider the overlap: our Lord’s mother was barren by virtue of being a virgin (Luke 1:34), and Jesus’ first miracle multiplied wine that had run out at a wedding (John 2:1–11). Furthermore, he too raised up a widow’s son (Luke 7:11–17) and he also fed the hungry—a crowd of five thousand people (Matt. 14:13–21) and then a crowd of four thousand people (Matt. 15:32–38), each time multiplying a few barley loaves and fish so that those thousands of people had enough to eat, with a combined nineteen baskets of leftovers afterward.

Jesus moves beyond both the prophetic ministries of Elijah and Elisha, but not as merely another prophet. Instead, Jesus is the ultimate prophet and even the ultimate subject of all prophecy, since “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev. 19:10). Every step forward through the Old Testament marches toward him, for he is the very Word of God made flesh (John 1:14). This is God’s own, beloved Son, so therefore, listen to him (Matt. 17:5).

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

2 Kings 3 | 2 Thessalonians 3 | Daniel 7 | Psalms 114–115

In 2 Kings 3, Elisha gets his first opportunity to prophesy to the kings of Israel and Judah, who are united in battle. The last time King Jehoshaphat of Judah joined forces with the king of Israel was against Syria back in 1 Kings 22, when King Ahab ignored the faithful prophecy of Micaiah and eventually died in battle. Just as in 1 Kings 22, Jehoshaphat has to slow down the new king of Israel, Ahab’s son Jehoram, by asking, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the LORD?” (2 Kgs. 3:11). Rather than summoning the prophet Micaiah, Jehoshaphat and Jehoram go down to seek the word of Yahweh through Elisha.

When the kings reach Elisha, the prophet foretells that Yahweh would fill up a dry streambed in the area with water, and that Yahweh would give Moab into the hands of Israel and Judah (2 Kgs. 3:16, 18). The two prophecies are connected, since when the Moabites see the morning sun reflecting off the water, they imagine that the kings of Israel and Judah had fought against one another and that they are seeing pools of their blood (2 Kgs. 3:23). When Moab rushes in after the spoils of war unprepared, God’s people rout them—but only up to the point when Moab’s king offers his son as a sacrifice, bringing “great wrath against Israel” (2 Kgs. 3:27). What exactly does this narration describe?

It seems, in fact, that the Moabites actually summon some kind of demonic wrath through this wicked human sacrifice. What this suggests is that Yahweh’s people, by their persistent disobedience, leave themselves vulnerable to the possibility that Yahweh, at some point, will withdraw his protection from them as they continue to spurn his commandments. This event functions as a warning: if the people of Israel do not repent from their idolatries completely, Yahweh would hand his people over to the wrath of the demons whom the other nations worshiped to an even greater degree. And eventually, this is exactly what happens—Yahweh sends the pagan, bloodthirsty nation of Assyria to carry the northern kingdom into exile in 2 Kings 17.

But this story also stands as an inverse shadow of the way that Yahweh’s own Son would willingly offer himself as a human sacrifice—not to seek vile, demonic power, but to offer himself up as a self-sacrificial substitute for sinners. On that day, Yahweh’s own wrath fell upon his Son to absorb the full extent of the curse for our sin, but his wrath also darkened the skies, tore the curtain of the temple, shook the earth, split rocks, and even caused the dead to come out of their tombs (Matt. 27:45, 51, 52–53). And all of that story stands as a warning to us: repent, for God’s patience will not last forever.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

2 Kings 2 | 2 Thessalonians 2 | Daniel 6 | Psalms 112–113

Yahweh had sent Elisha to assist Elijah when the elder prophet suffered from severe spiritual depression (1 Kgs. 19:19–21). Through an apprenticeship process, Elisha has been preparing to replace his master once Elijah departs into glory. So, in 2 Kings 2, we read about the final steps Elisha must take in order to take over the ministry of his master.

First, Elisha unwaveringly follows his master through this last journey. Not only does Elijah test Elisha three times, asking his apprentice to stay behind rather than going with him to Bethel, Jericho, and the Jordan (2 Kgs. 2:2, 4, 6), the sons of the prophets also twice warn Elisha that Yahweh is about to take his master from him (2 Kgs. 2:3, 5). Elisha knows that he is heading to face sorrow at the loss of Elijah, but he nevertheless accompanies his master all the way to the end.

Second, Elisha asks Elijah for a “double portion of your spirit on me” (2 Kgs. 2:9), which is the language of inheritance. In those days, the firstborn had a right to receive a double portion of the inheritance (Deut. 21:17), which meant that the firstborn would receive two shares of the inheritance, while all the other brothers would receive a single share. In this way, the inheritance would not be completely fragmented in every generation, but a single leader could primarily carry on the family name. Elisha, then, is asking to carry on the ministry of Elijah after his master’s departure.

Third, once Elisha witnesses Elijah depart into heaven on the chariot, it quickly becomes clear that Yahweh’s Spirit has set apart Elisha to carry on Elijah’s ministry. When Elisha returns to the Jordan, he asks, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” and strikes the river with Elijah’s cloak (2 Kgs. 2:14). In this question, Elisha is asking whether Yahweh would now be God to him as he had been God to Elijah. When the water parts to one side—just as it had when Elijah struck the water with his cloak a little earlier (2 Kgs. 2:8)—Elisha knows that Yahweh has indeed commissioned him to continue the prophetic ministry that Elijah began.

The church cannot neglect the necessity of training up the next generation of leaders, and on the flip side, those who aspire to become the next generation of leaders need to follow closely after those who have led the way before them. Jesus’ own method of training leaders was to travel with them, teach them, and actually send them to do ministry under his tutelage (e.g., Luke 10:1–12), so that Jesus models the same ministry mentorship that we see in the relationship between Elijah and Elisha. Pray for today’s Elijahs devoted to training the next generation of leaders, and for today’s Elishas to be faithful in being trained.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

2 Kings 1 | 2 Thessalonians 1 | Daniel 5 | Psalms 110–111

After Ahab dies, his son Ahaziah sadly picks up where Ahab had left off—he ignores the word of Yahweh in order to seek revelations from other gods. In 2 Kings 1, the prophet Elijah confronts Ahaziah similarly to the way that he had confronted Ahab, and in the process, Elijah’s prophetic ministry establishes a theme that becomes much more significant in the New Testament: the word of God revealed through fire from heaven.

To begin, we read that the chief sin of Ahaziah comes through his desire to seek the word of Baal-zebub, a false god. This is the point on which Elijah confronts Ahaziah, challenging him by saying, “is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word?” (2 Kgs. 1:16). It is not merely, then, that Ahaziah ignores the word of Yahweh, but that he does so in order to seek out a false word from a false god.

Then, Elijah calls upon fire from heaven as a sign to authenticate his calling as a true prophet of Yahweh. Earlier, Elijah called for fire from heaven to prove that Yahweh alone is God against the false gods of Baal and Asherah in 1 Kings 18. Now again, the question of whether “there is no God in Israel” (2 Kgs. 1:3, 16) arises, and fire falls from heaven twice to consume two captains of Israel along with their fifty men who disbelieve what Yahweh had already revealed about himself.

But fire from heaven doesn’t always signify judgment—there is, in fact, a further wrinkle to this theme of how Yahweh reveals himself through fire from heaven. In 2 Kings 2, Yahweh will send chariots of fire from heaven, not for judgment, but to take Elijah directly into heaven without dying. For those who know, love, and serve Yahweh, fire from heaven is not a curse, but a blessing.

Similarly, in the New Testament, fire from heaven comes to announce a blessing and to warn of impending judgment. When tongues of fire descend from heaven to rest on top of the apostles of Jesus at the giving of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:3), the apostles begin to preach the word about Jesus in words that all the Jews in Jerusalem could understand, each in his own native language (Acts 2:8). This sign attests to the reality that Jesus, who had been raised up from the dead, is God in Israel, and that one day, our Lord will come again to baptize not only with the Holy Spirit but also with the fire of judgment for those who will not repent (Matt. 3:11–12).

Learn from the story of Ahaziah and hear the word of the Lord: There is a God in Israel, and he has been revealed through Jesus Christ. Repent of your idolatries and worship this God alone.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Kings 22 | 1 Thessalonians 5 | Daniel 4 | Psalms 108–109

Although Ahab humbles himself before Yahweh in 1 Kings 21, we learn in 1 Kings 22 that this humbling is not true, full-fledged repentance and faith in Yahweh. Instead, when Ahab plans to go to battle against the Syrians with King Jehoshaphat of Judah as his ally, Ahab consults only false prophets until Jehoshaphat prompts Ahab to send for a faithful prophet (1 Kgs. 22:7, 14).

Micaiah, after sarcastically parroting the words of the other prophets, relays to Ahab a terrible vision. Micaiah sees Yahweh on his throne, gathering all the hosts of heaven and asking who could entice Ahab to go up to Ramoth-gilead, where he would die (1 Kgs. 22:19–20). The spirit whom Yahweh selects proposes this plan: “I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets” (1 Kgs. 22:22). Yahweh knows that Ahab will be deceived and enticed, so he sends the spirit.

What are we to make of such a vision? Why would Yahweh send lying spirits? Does he do anything like this today?

First, Yahweh does send a lying spirit to Ahab, but Yahweh also reveals that the prophets are therefore lying. Furthermore, Micaiah’s truthfulness is so apparent to everyone in the room that the prophet Zedekiah strikes Micaiah on the cheek, demanding, “How did the Spirit of the LORD go from me to speak to you?” (1 Kgs. 22:24). Yes, Yahweh sends lying spirits to deceive Ahab, but when Ahab chooses to go up in battle to Ramoth-gilead, he does so in deliberate, willful disobedience to the revealed word of Yahweh.

Second, we should compare this passage with a similar one in the New Testament. In 2 Thessalonians 2, we read about the people who refuse “to love truth and so be saved” (2 Thess. 2:10). Because of this hardness of heart, “Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thess. 2:11–12). In both cases, God only sends a “lying spirit” or a “strong delusion” in cases where people already refuse to believe and love the truth.

In fact, God doesn’t trick people. He has revealed his truth to the world—both in his written word as well as in his word made flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ. The reason that human beings reject God’s truth is that “the light has come into the world, and the people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil” (John 3:19). The world rejects Jesus because they love their sin more than God’s truth.

The question, then, is this: Will you believe God’s truth, or will you persist in loving—and therefore believing—the falsehoods of this world?

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Kings 21 | 1 Thessalonians 4 | Daniel 3 | Psalm 107

Despite the fact that Yahweh sends Ahab prophet after prophet, revealing his word to the king time after time, Ahab nevertheless stands firm in his unbelief and hardness of heart. In today’s reading from 1 Kings 21, the only thing that moves Ahab to humility is when Yahweh sends a final word of judgment.

At the beginning of the chapter, Ahab becomes “vexed and sullen” (1 Kgs. 21:4) when Naboth refuses to sell the king his inheritance, a vineyard that Ahab would like to use as his personal vegetable garden (1 Kgs. 21:2–4). Remember, Yahweh gave his people land to be passed down as an inheritance from generation to generation so that the family’s inheritance would serve as the place where Yahweh would dwell in their midst. Naboth, therefore, refuses to give up his family’s inheritance on theological grounds.

But, when the wicked Jezebel undertakes a plot to murder Naboth through a lie, Ahab is delighted to go immediately to take possession of the vineyard. When he arrives, however, Elijah meets him with a prophetic word, informing Ahab that Yahweh has determined to bring disaster and ruin on the house of Ahab (1 Kgs. 21:20–24), and especially on Jezebel, whom the dogs will eat within the walls of Jezreel (1 Kgs. 21:23). Nevertheless, when Ahab hears the word of Yahweh, he tears his clothes, puts on sackcloth, fasts, and humbles himself before Yahweh (1 Kgs. 21:27), prompting Yahweh to relent from sending this disaster until after Ahab would die (1 Kgs. 21:29).

There are two principles we should observe from this story. First, we should recognize that it is never too late for a sinner to repent in this life. We ought to commend Ahab for eventually humbling himself before Yahweh, even though he starts his life off wickedly.

Second, we should be encouraged by the story of Naboth. Despite the fact that wicked kings had ascended to the throne of Israel in rebellion against the house of David during his days, Naboth simply presses on in his ordinary life, faithfully keeping the vineyard Yahweh had given to his fathers. And through his faithfulness, Naboth has the honor of foreshadowing our Lord Jesus, who was also murdered when evil, worthless men trumped up charges against him, claiming that he had blasphemed God (Matt. 26:65) and rebelled against the king (John 19:12) in order to claim God’s vineyard as their own (Matt. 21:38).

Our inheritance is not real estate, but the Lord Jesus himself, whom God has graciously given to us. Learn to prize Jesus more than you do your own life, so that when wicked rulers ask you to sell your inheritance for a price, you will find it easy to respond in the words of Naboth: “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers” (1 Kgs. 21:3).

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Kings 20 | 1 Thessalonians 3 | Daniel 2 | Psalm 106

Although Ahab is a wicked king, Yahweh nevertheless reveals himself to him multiple times. Still, Ahab follows in the footsteps of King Saul, receiving with joy any word of Yahweh that signifies good to him but systematically ignoring any warnings or instructions from Yahweh. The story of Ahab’s battle with Syria and Syria’s king, Ben-hadad, in 1 Kings 20 carries forward the story of Israel’s rebellion against Syria, but it also reveals more of Ahab’s rebellion against Yahweh.

At first, Ahab is willing to serve Ben-hadad, pledging to give to Syria’s king anything that he wants (1 Kgs. 20:4), but when Ben-hadad demands actually to carry away to Syria everything his servants desire, Ahab refuses (1 Kgs. 20:9). In response, Ben-hadad immediately gathers his forces to march into war against Israel.

A prophet, then, delivers the word of Yahweh to Ahab: “Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will give it into your hand this day, and you shall know that I am the LORD” (1 Kgs. 20:13). Significantly, Yahweh insists it is for a specific purpose that he will save Ahab from Ben-hadad and the Syrians: so that Ahab shall know that he is Yahweh. This is sheer grace toward Ahab, designed to lead him to repent from worshiping Baal and Asherah (and encouraging the rest of Israel to do the same) and instead to worship Yahweh alone.

But after such a great military victory, Ahab listens to the plea of Ben-hadad and spares the life of the king of Syria (1 Kgs. 20:32–34). In response, Yahweh sends another prophet to Ahab, telling him, “Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall be for his life, and your people for his people” (1 Kgs. 20:42). Yahweh has extended grace and mercy toward Ahab, but Ahab chooses to deal with Ben-hadad in the way that seems good to him, despite the fact that his actions contradict what Yahweh has told him to do.

Once again, we see someone spurn the grace of God. God extends grace upon grace to many people in this life—from the common grace of sunshine and rain (Matt. 5:45) to the special revelation God extends through the preaching of the gospel (Rom. 10:15)—and yet some still disobey. Do you receive the grace of God only to continue in unbelief and hardness of heart? Rather than sulking like Ahab (1 Kgs. 20:43), today repent from your self-reliance and believe the gospel that Jesus has died and risen again for you. If you are still able to hear God’s voice, do not harden your heart any longer by the deceitfulness of sin (Heb. 3:13).

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Kings 19 | 1 Thessalonians 2 | Daniel 1 | Psalm 105

At the end of 1 Kings 18, Elijah might have believed that he had succeeded in bringing the nation of Israel back to Yahweh. And yet, when Elijah returns after defeating the prophets of Baal, Ahab’s wife Jezebel sends him this message: “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow” (1 Kgs. 19:2). Today, we will explore this question: How can God’s people live faithfully in the midst of deep discouragements in life and in ministry?

To begin, we should notice the extraordinary compassion Yahweh shows to Elijah at a time when Elijah wants only to die (1 Kgs. 19:4). Yahweh doesn’t force Elijah to march straight back into the battle, but instead he cares for Elijah, sending an angel to bring food and water to the prophet (1 Kgs. 19:5–8).

Then, Yahweh speaks to Elijah. He does not speak with an overwhelming display of power—that is, not through a strong wind or an earthquake or a fire—but through a “low whisper,” or, in the memorable translation of the King James Version, through a “still small voice” (1 Kgs. 19:11–12). On the mountain, Yahweh gently encourages Elijah with news of a remnant of whom Elijah was not aware: “Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him” (1 Kgs. 19:18).

Finally, Yahweh recruits help for Elijah. Recognizing that Elijah needs a partner in his ministry, Yahweh sends Elijah to call Elisha to be his assistant (1 Kgs. 19:19–21)—and eventually, to take over his ministry in Israel (2 Kgs. 2). We will read much more about Elisha in the coming days.

Yahweh is not a taskmaster. Although ministry often taxes us to the extreme, Yahweh is not interested in breaking us. Even the Lord Jesus often took breaks to be refreshed through time alone in prayer (Luke 5:16)—that is, to escape the busyness of ministry in order to hear the still, small voice of God. More than that, ministry is not solitary work, but God instead gives us the whole body of Christ for our edification and encouragement.

In these times of spiritual melancholy, our greatest encouragement comes from meditating upon the fact that Jesus Christ has already conquered the kingdom of darkness and that he still reigns from his throne. When he calls us to follow him, he does not do so in order to accomplish what he could not—rather, he calls us to be heralds of the victory that he has already won. Today, encourage your weary heart with the words of Jesus: “But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.