Dynamite Chronicles: Elijah and Elisha

Our three dynamite ingredients this week:

1. Pray for understanding that God's power (Holy Spirit) is here and can work through us in big and small ways.
2. 1 Kings 18:21, 2 Kings 6:16
3. Tell someone about these stories and God's power.

Elijah and Elisha are two of my favourite Bible characters. They are such on account of their powerful action in faith...and because Elisha's miracles make me laugh.

In 1 Kings 18, Elijah faces off against 450 prophets of Baal and 400 of Asherah. The challenge pits him against them, more or less one man against 850. In teaching the kids, it was asked, "Who  the advantage?"

In number, the false prophets did. As the story goes on to reveal, however, the advantage was to Elijah, who was not alone, but faced the false prophets with the real and active God on his side. Before Elijah called down fire from heaven, showing God to be the real God, he said to all the people of Israel, who had been following false gods, leaving the true God, "How long will you waver betwixt two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him. But if Baal is god, follow him."

In 2 Kings, Elisha follows up Elijah. When Elijah was taken up to heaven, a double-portion of his spirit was granted to Elisha.With that double-portion, Elisha did some strange things, though they were mighty. Among them, Elisha cured a stew of poison (2 Kings 4:38-44), sends bears to kill children (2 Kings 2:23-25), and my personal favourite, caused an axhead to float in a river (2 Kings 6:1-7).

In 2 Kings 6:8-23, Elisha and his servant are surrounded by an army bent on capturing and killing them. When the army comes to them, Elisha says to his servant, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

This concept is constant in Elijah and Elisha's lives, and so it is for us as well. Our God is more powerful than any false god this world gives itself to, more mighty than any army, and powerful enough to make an axe float in a river. His power, by his will and grace, works through us. Just as Elijah and Elisha were able to do great things, so can we. God's power is here and now. Have faith in him.

In His Majesty's Service.