“…and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.” 1 Kings 19:19
Dear Ones:
The calling of God is just that…the call of God to an individual. It is personal, immeasurably important, and all-encompassing. God had spoken to Elijah to “…anoint (Elisha) to be prophet in your place.” (1 Kings 19:16) The day that God called Elisha by the words and actions of Elijah, he was plowing in the fields with oxen. It seems an odd circumstance, and manner of calling someone to be a prophet of God. And yet, there was no hesitation in the heart of Elisha to respond to the calling. He understood fully what this would mean, hence, he asks Elijah if he can “kiss my father and mother (good-by).” He also returned to take a yoke of oxen, kill them, and cook them…along with the burning of the wooden yokes of the oxen. In other words, Elisha was leaving his life for that of another. He had heard the call of God, understood its implications, and responded whole-heartedly, “burning his bridges behind him.” Though this was necessary, as all of his trust needed to be in God alone, he would come to the moment when Elijah would be taken from his sight, and he would see him no more. In preparation for that moment, Elisha realized that one thing was necessary…and for this he would ask Elijah. He would need a double portion of the Spirit. It is essential that we see at this point that, not only does God call us “from” the trust of lesser things, but He calls us “to” the appropriation of the enormity of the blessing. This is why the Apostle Paul would write: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yes, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Phil. 3:1,2) The great blessing embedded in the call of God is the knowledge of Christ, not just an intellectual knowledge of the truth, but, as Paul put it, “…to KNOW the power of the resurrection.” It is also to KNOW the love of Christ, which passes understanding.
In our day and time, we are apt to lose sight of the fact that our calling is a singular, individual, and permanent one. Jesus tells us that He calls all of His sheep “by their name,” and leads them. This is one reason why Psalm 23 is so greatly loved. David portrays the calling in so great, and eloquently simple terms: “The Lord is MY Shepherd…He leads me.” This verse, along with those in Paul’s writings, reveal to us that the essence of the great calling of God is first and foremost, fellowship, or communion WITH God. Out of that communion with God is born a service that is both fruitful and glorifying to God. We see this so clearly illustrated in John’s gospel, chapter 15, where the Lord uses a Vine and its branches to reveal to us this union with Himself. It is out of that union with Christ, that communion is born. As long as the branch ABIDES in the VINE, Christ abides in him. There is communion, with the resulting fruit of HIS LIFE, being increasingly revealed in and through the life.
The calling of God, in large part, can be summed up by the Lord’s words in John 15:16: “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain.” Here is the initiative of God. We do not see Christ in Scripture pounding down the doors of our hearts, but we do see Him drawing out our hearts to him, and speaking to us. It is inconceivable to believe otherwise, for if He calls us, it is to make known to us His will. He has in His foreknowledge and wisdom, not to mention his mercy and love, ordained us, set each of us apart unto Himself for His purposes. With that “ordination” has come all that pertains to it with regard to “the double portion,” that abundant provision by the Spirit. It is as we abide in Christ, in this living fellowship with Him, that the fruit of His life is revealed, and manifested through us, as we are about our Father’s business.
Dear Father, give us grace to see and understand the meaning of our calling, and to embrace it by embracing Thee. Fill us to the full with Thy blessed Life, by the Spirit, leading us in every way to accomplish Thy will for Thy pleasure and honor. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad