Kingdom Building

June 25, 2019

Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 2:1-2,6-14

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.’ 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.’ 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. 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.

He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, ‘Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’ When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over. –2 Kings 2:9-14

When Elisha asked for a double share of Elijah’s spirit, he is not asking for the same gifts that Elijah had but for a double measure of the driving force that guided and supported Elijah in using his special gifts. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:4, Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. We each were blessed with gifts from God that we need to nurture and use to God’s glory through the Spirit’s help. The beauty of the Kingdom of God is that all are needed for the Kingdom to be actualized. Our support of each other’s gifts is important to making that happen.

I am no good at asking for money. I stand in awe of those who are good fundraisers who seem not to have any compunctions about asking for money particularly when you consider that they are most often rejected. Almost daily I receive five or six emails asking me to donate to something. I delete most without opening them, but they keep coming. People who are called to be fundraisers for worthy causes are blessed with a special gift. Quality fundraising is needed to establish schools for children; just as good teachers are necessary to do the training.

What are your gifts? How are you using and nurturing them? Whose gifts are you encouraging?

Prayer: Lord, help me find my niche in your service and bless me with your Spirit’s enabling powers to use my gifts. Help me to be an enabler of the gifts of others to your glory. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.