Pursuing your Destiny with Passion and Perseverance!

A moment can change your life, your destiny when you recognise and respond to the call of God! Elisha had such a moment - the moment that changed the course of his life and he found his purpose and destiny. He was doing his every day job, doing the back breaking job of plowing the fields of his family, unknown, undiscovered in the backwaters of Israel. Who but Elijah, the established prophet comes by? And not only does he come by but he goes up to Elisha and throws his cloak around him to take up his prophetic mantle! Throwing the cloak in ancient times, was a sign of passing on a designation or placing a call to take up the mantle!

What an opportunity seemingly out of nowhere! God does have a plan - the opportunities to transition and step into your calling may come unannounced when you are least expecting it, when you have given up and feel stuck in your day to day routine. If you stay faithful to what God has called you to do and keep a heart and spirit willing to respond without grumbling and complaining about your lot in life, and be in communion with God - you will surely recognise the moment and not miss it or see it pass by! Elijah was quick to respond - he did not stand there and question it, toy with the idea of trying something like this another day or year but did what he needed to quickly do and respond to the call with urgency without missing the opportunity and the rest is history!

1 Kings 19:19-21

So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father

and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?” So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

Elisha not only took up his calling but pursued it with passion and perseverance. He stuck to his master Elijah to the end, wanting to spend as much time with him even though Elijah himself discouraged him three times and asked him to turn back just before he was to be taken upto heaven in a whirlwind. Talk about commitment and not letting discouragement of not seeing his mater anymore keep him from pursuing his own call!

2 Kings 2: 2-6

When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.”

But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.” Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.”And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho. The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?” “Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.” Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on.

This perseverance to pursue his calling, is why he was able to ask Elijah for a double portion of the Elijah's anointing and actually receive it on the condition that he actually saw Elijah being lifted up!

When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.” As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two. Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 

Elisha did receive not only Elijah's cloak or prophetic mantle but also the double portion of Elijah's anointing and went on to do great things for the Lord in this tumultuous time of Israel's history! How are you preparing your heart to respond to God's call when it comes? Are you ready to step into destiny, able to discern God's call and not question it or dilly dally and totally miss the opportunity? Do you have the passion and perseverance to not just step out but to see it through like Elisha did? A moment can literally change the course of your life and destiny when you respond to the One who calls you....