Monday, September 2, 2013

By: Brandon Bilbo

A Double Anointing

Zechariah 4:10 Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin...

Throughout the Bible, God's Word was brought forth through prophets. There was actually an entire school where prophets trained to hear the voice of The Lord, but there was one prophet named Elijah who was very different from the others.

There are numerous creative miracles that God performed through Him including calling fire down from heaven. People sought out Elijah because they knew he heard clearly from The Lord and operated in the miraculous power of God.

However, there was one man that did not seek Elijah out, but his life

was changed forever. One day while plowing his father's field, a young man named Elisha was approached by Elijah. From that divine encounter on, Elisha vowed to be the best "sidekick" there was.

Elisha followed the prophet, learned from him and served him. Towards the end of Elijah's life, he continued to give Elisha the opportunity to remain in each city they visited although he personally was moving on. Elisha's response was the same each time, "As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you." (2 Kings 2)

Before Elijah left this earth, he asked Elisha what he could do for him. Elisha requested for a double portion of Elijah's spirit.

Now, do you think that Elijah would have granted this request to a complete stranger or to someone that he did not trust with what he had paid a price to obtain? Absolutely not. Since Elisha had remained faithful and had also paid a price through his passion for God and servitude to Elijah, his request was granted.

From the day Elijah was taken to Heaven until the day Elisha died, Elisha performed TWICE the amount of miracles credited to Elijah.

However, if it had not been for Elisha's sidekick days, he would have never become the hero that God called him to be.