Tuesday, January 25, 2011

No Turning Back....

Dear Friends and Family,

Hope you're all doing well. I think this has been the worst flu season I've ever known. It seems family and friends across the states are so sick.

Strep, viruses, and pneumonia have made their way around, and around, and around our families since before Thanksgiving.  I think 5 of the 6 in Jon Abram's family are now on antibiotics.  Thankfully, other than a stomach virus, Jon and I have managed to escape the worst of it. We did get our flu shots, but I give the praise to God.

Needless to say, we've seen a lot less of the family the last 3 months. I think everyone is longing for Spring!!!!

This morning, I continued my reading in I Kings. I loved the story of Elijah on Mt. Carmel and the wondrous  victory given there.  In chapter 19, I read  of God's direction and of Elijah calling Elisha to follow him as the next prophet.  Elisha was in a field with others plowing with 12 yoke of oxen.  Elisha answered the call by asking to go home to bid his parents good-bye. Elijah wasn't impressed by Elisha's priorities.

Elisha's yoke of oxen represented his total means of livelihood.  These were equivalent to our present day careers, jobs, insurance,  IRA'S, etc. As typical of his culture, these  oxen may have provided for Elisha's extended family as well.

Elisha slaughtered his oxen, burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat, gave it to the people, and they ate.  Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant, and eventually the next prophet.

Okay......... Here we see Elisha cutting permanently every tie of the past.  Leaving no entanglements, no demands, nothing to beckon him to return to his old paths. The point here isn't to ignore our families, but instead to make sure our #1 loyalty is to our God. Elisha made no provision to return to his old life. He didn't leave his team in the care of family or friend with the idea of one day using it again. Elisha was FINISHED with the old path.  He was 100% committed!  Later Elisha also demonstrates his love and determination to follow God's call upon his life, by dogging Elijah's every moment to make sure Elijah's mantle fell on him, and thus the next ordained prophet.

What a lesson!!  I don't want to hold too tightly to anything this world has to offer. I'm grateful to God for every temporal blessing, but everything I have is only a gift from Him.  I don't want this World's goods to possess me. I want all of them to be a means of serving Him better.  What do I have that I couldn't live without?  Hummmmmmmm.....That's thought provoking, isn't it?  Words come easy, but am I willing to "slay my oxen and burn my plow?"  Is everything so committed to Christ, until there is no "going back?" Do I have a "if this doesn't work out, I can always return to Egypt" attitude?

This morning I was watching a news video of the persecuted Christians in Iraq.  The camera showed the blood stains and bombed church of the Christmas Eve massacre of over 50 Christians.  Yet, these Christians weren't eager to run away.  They felt they were needed there. I was humbled by their steadfastness and determination.  I wondered, would I stand in these circumstances?

Today,God,search my heart. I want to be sure that I don't have any hidden "oxen or unburned plows" lurking in the deepest recesses of my heart. Lord, I want you to completely fill every chamber of my heart, possess me, use me...

Have a blessed day.....
Let's follow Him, let's not look back, let's burn every bridge, let's fix our eyes upon the Easter sky, maybe today...

Linda


1 comment:

jojan said...

i too have been doing some deep thinking. could i stay there knowing at any moment i could be killed??? i want the love and determanation that they had.
and oh, what a meeting,,,,,,,well done my child,well done.....
#1