God Gives Us What We Need – 2 Kings 2:6-14   

A text – 2 Kings 2:6-14

⁶ Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. ⁷ Fifty men of the company of prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. ⁸ Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and the two of them crossed on dry ground.

⁹ When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” ¹⁰ He responded, “You have asked a hard thing, yet if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” ¹¹ As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. ¹² Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

¹³ He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water. He said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah? Where is he?” He struck the water again, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha crossed over.

A reflection:

Elijah – a miracle-working prophet of the Lord, and the one observant Jews still set a place for at Seder tables during Passover. And Elisha, his successor. These two men, one the student and one the mentor, are soon to be separated. They know it. Elisha is told to stay back, but he insists on accompanying his master. Elijah uses his cloak rolled up like a rod to part the Jordan so that they can walk across. And then, as they are walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire roll between them and scoop up Elijah and ascend to heaven in a whirlwind. He is gone and it is suddenly quiet, and the student has seen the event, which his mentor had said meant that he would inherit a double portion of Elijah’s spirit.

Not exactly a modern-day story. Not the chariot, not the request, not the horses of fire, not the striking the river with a cloak.

So what might this story say to us today? Is it a story about how God blesses the faithful? Elijah never gave up on God. That did not mean he had an easy life, but it did mean that Elijah knew he could count on God to provide what he needed. And Elisha faithfully sticks to Elijah’s side and is rewarded by seeing the vision of his master taken into heaven instead of dying. The sight of this gave Elisha a double portion of prophetic spirit with which to continue Elijah’s ministry. That spirit would be exactly what Elisha needed. God brings the faithful what they need to do their called work.

How has God brought you what you needed to do what God calls you to do? I’m going to think about that this week – I can think of many examples. I might write them onto post-it notes and see what kind of wallpaper results from the exercise. I might hang them from the ceiling in a mobile. I might pray prayers of thanksgiving for each one as I write them down. God is generous. Let us remember that.

A prayer:

Lord God, thank you for loving us. Thank you for providing exactly what we need to do the work that you give us to do. Help us to remember your generosity every day and give thanks for it. Amen.