Taken By a Whirlwind

How do you envision going to heaven? Do you dismiss the mystery of God? Do you prefer to have everything explained by science?  Do you want hard evidence rather than believing in the awesome power of God? What if you were taken without dying?

We like for things to be explained. Sometimes that is easy to do. Other times, we rely on complicated science experiments and theories. Still other times we rely on the evidence collected by archeologists or investigators. And sometimes we use our own logic.

But God works in mysterious ways and does things we cannot quickly explain. That can put a seed of doubt into our minds. Or it can increase our awe and wonder of the awesome wonder of God’s power. It can be a reason for us to drop to our knees and worship him. Ultimately, the choice is ours. We can be skeptics or faithful.

Elisha saw something that appears to come out of a fantasy book. He was walking along with Elijah, having a conversation, when suddenly a chariot of fire came barreling down between the two of them, then Elijah went to heaven in a whirlwind. We can’t think up anything more amazing!

So, do we believe that is what happened or are we skeptical? If we believe, we should be in awe of how God has worked and continues to work in this world. Our response should be one of praise and worship. God does things we can only imagine, but never achieve. His power is beyond our understanding. We should not easily dismiss the mystery of God.

I pray we all believe in God’s awesome power. I pray we are in awe of what he has done and continues to do. I pray each one of us will bow down to worship and praise God as the Almighty. Accept the mystery of God. Recognize his awesome power. Sing praises to God. Worship him. Give him thanks for all your blessings.

2 Kings 2:11 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.

Faithful Follower

Has there been someone you looked up, perhaps idolized, who you would follow to the ends of the earth? Was it a mentor who took the time to both teach and correct you as you were growing up? Is it a parent who you continue to respect and follow their advice?

Having someone we respect and honor can be very good for us. As they mentor us, we grow and mature into the person we desire to be. The right mentor will recognize our potential and provide the best guidance for achieving our potential. They can have a profound impact on our lives.

When we have such a mentor, we often never want to leave their side. We continually desire their wise advice. Yet, at some point, we must become our own person and move forward without them. Perhaps that occurs earlier in our lives. But even if it does not occur until that person’s death, we will have to live without them.

Elisha was dedicated to Elijah. He had learned quite a lot from Elijah regarding how to live out his life to God. Elisha respected Elijah, holding him in high regard. He knew that Elijah was blessed by God with prophecy and insight into God’s will. Elisha desired be like Elijah. Perhaps he thought that he could learn enough to be blessed by God in the same way.

Elisha promised to never leave Elijah’s side. We would be with him until the end of his days. Even as Elisha knew Elijah’s days were about to come to an end, he refused to leave him. His dedication to Elijah would ultimately payoff.

We, too, may be dedicated to a mentor of ours. Perhaps even to the level of Elisha. But we may also mature to the point we no longer need to be with the mentor. We may have learned all we can learn from them. Yet, there is one mentor we can never outgrow, that is God. God should continue to be our chosen mentor throughout our entire lives.

I pray we all have a mentor who provides wise advice. I pray we recognize when we have learned all we can from them. I pray each one of us continue to look to God to be our lifelong mentor. Seek a mentor you can learn from. Follow their wise advice. Continue to seek God’s advice. Trust him always.

2 Kings 2:2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

The Earth Summoned

Do you wish, at times, there was someone who could call the everyone to account? Do you get tired of all the bickering, complaining, finger pointing, and lack of accountability? Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone with the authority to bring everyone together and knock them down a notch?

Holding people accountable can be a challenge. It is even more challenging when the person who needs to be held accountable is a manager or in a higher position than we are. Since there is always someone higher up the chain, we must rely on the higher up to hold them accountable.

There are not many places in which someone can hold a large number of people accountable. Think there is? Spend a moment thinking about it. A coach can call a team to account. A military unit commander can call the unit to account. In the police and corrections units, the commander can hold them accountable. But in our business environments, it is generally done one on one.

Yet, God can summon the entire earth and hold them accountable. In fact, we are told that one day he will do exactly that. For those who are followers of his Son, it will be a glorious day. For those who are not, it will a disastrous day, the beginning of an eternity of punishment. Unfortunately, far too many people don’t believe God will do that or they think they have a lot of time to make a change to their lives.

We all need to take God at his word. We need to believe his promises. We need to live our lives like we believe his promises. For his promises will come true. He cares for each one of us. We can count on the promises he has made that he will take those who follow his Son into eternity with him. We can also count on the promises that those who do not follow his Son will be cast into eternal punishment.

I pray we all believe God’s promises. I pray we choose to follow Jesus Christ and live our lives according to the promises. I pray each one of us will tell others of the promises. God will hold everyone accountable. Believe in his promises. Live your life according to his promises. Tell others about God’s promises.

Psalm 50:1

The mighty one, God the Lord, 

speaks and summons the earth 

from the rising of the sun to its setting.

Light Dispels Darkness

Are you seeking to be led by the light? Or are you comfortable living in the dark? Do you want to be enlightened? Or do you prefer to hold on to ignorance? Would you like to lead others into the light you stand in? Or are you content to bask in the light by yourself?

Tough questions. But ones we should wrestle with. If we do not consciously consider them, wrestle with them, and reflect introspectively, we will be swallowed by the selfishness of our culture. Our own little world becomes all about us rather than considering others.

Take a moment to consider light, any light. Have you noticed the darkness cannot overcome it (John 1:5). Light goes out in all directions. Do this quick experiment. Grab a flashlight, one that you can make into a narrow beam, if possible. Go into a dark room, completely pitch black. You may need to go into a closet to be in a room with no external light. Once inside, turn on the flashlight. Leaving the flashlight pointed in one direction (you may even set it on the floor, so you don’t move it) and look around the room. Though the beam is pointed in one direction, the light spreads beyond, even in the opposite direction.

This is the point being made about God’s light. It spreads. It may not always be as bright in one direction as it is in another, but it dispels the darkness. When we allow God’s light to come into us, it will spread. It won’t occur in a single moment. Yet, it will spread throughout us. Of course, the more time we spend with God, the more the light spreads.

His light comes to us in the form of the Holy Spirit to enlighten us and to show us the full glory of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We can narrow the beam to focus only on Sunday morning, but the light continues to break through in other areas, even if just a little. We also can widen the beam, all the way to the point of being a lantern that puts forth light in all directions of our life. When we do that, we are shining the fullness of Christ to all we encounter.

I pray we all see that light dispels darkness. I pray we decide to widen the beam of light we have been given. I pray each one of us will share the light of Jesus with everyone we meet. Light overcomes darkness. The Light has shone in our hearts. Spread the light of Jesus. See the glory of Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:6 For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Some Won’t Get It

Have you tried to teach someone something and they just didn’t get it? Were you frustrated with them? Did you attempt to use a different approach or analogy? Were you finally effective in getting your point across? Do you know people who won’t believe the gospel?

Teaching can be a challenge. We have some students who need to learn one way and others who learn another. Some learn simply by hearing and writing. Others learn through visual aids. Still others learn by physically doing. As teachers, we need to discover how our students learn.

Telling others about the gospel is no different. Sometimes we need to merely speak of the gospel, tell the stories of Jesus, and state why He came for the person we are speaking with to understand. In other cases, we need to speak of history, prophecy, and present archeological evidence for them to understand and believe. We may need to use pictures, graphs, and timelines to get them to understand.

We may be discouraged when someone we want to accept the gospel simply does not understand or will not believe. We should not beat ourselves up. As Paul tells the Corinthians, it is Satan and our culture that will keep them from understanding. They have submitted to the influence of popular belief rather than believing the Word of God.

Unfortunately, it is their failure to believe the gospel and accept Christ as their Savior that will be their demise. Our hearts may ache for them. We may be distraught because they are a family member. Yet, we cannot forcibly cause them to believe. What can we do? Pray that God changes their heart. Ask him to send his Spirit to work on them from the inside out. We can continue to plant the seeds and pray that God gives the growth.

I pray we all continue to teach the gospel. I pray we try to understand how to reach different types of people. I pray each one of us will plant seeds and ask God to give the growth. Teach others the gospel. Use different methods. Plant the seeds of the gospel. Ask God to give the growth.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

The Beloved

Have you ever tried to learn something new? Was it at school? Was it for work? How long did it take you to learn it? Did you read through it multiple times to commit it to memory? Was there a specific number of times you had to read it to retain the information?

Learning something new can be difficult. I have had to learn many new things as I’m sure each of you have. As I was learning material to pass a project management test, I was told I needed to read the material three times to retain. I did that and passed the test.

Often, when things are repeated, we become upset at the person repeating the information. Yet, I have seen teachers say something, stomp their foot, and repeat it, letting the students know they would be tested on that specific point later. If the student wrote that information down, it would be the third time hearing or writing the information. It gives them a better chance of retaining it.

We all need to be reminded of information from time-to-time. It is no different with Biblical information. We need to be reminded of the stories. We need to read them again. In some ways, it is like revisiting our own history, remembering something we learned as a child or during a different time of our lives. It becomes special.

God often repeats himself in the Bible. It is no different when it comes to Jesus. God repeated at the transfiguration what he had said at Jesus’ baptism—he calls Jesus his Son and his Beloved. At the transfiguration, God tells the three apostles with Him to listen to Him. It is both a command and great advice. Something we should do as well.

I pray we all read the Bible multiple times. I pray we revisit the stories we know and reread them. I pray each one of us will listen to Jesus, following His commands and His advice. Read the Bible. Read your favorite stories. Listen to Jesus. Obey Jesus’ commands. Follow His advice.

Mark 9:7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!”

Amazing Vision

Are there historical figures you would like to see? Are they great leaders? Are they wonderful poets and writers? Are they trailblazers who reach new heights? Would you love to see heroes of the faith? Can you imagine speaking with them? What would you say?

Think about meeting George Washington or Abraham Lincoln. Imagine a conversation with Mark Twain or Louisa May Alcott. Consider the stories the Wright brothers or Sojourner Truth could tell. Would you be in awe meeting and speaking with them?

Now, take a moment to consider being one of the apostles with Jesus when suddenly transfigured before their eyes and became so bright white they could hardly look at Him. Then Elijah and Moses appear out of thin air and begin talking with Him as though they have been friends for ages. What a spectacle that would be!

It is rare to see people who are making history, who are busting through glass ceilings, who are blazing a trail into a new field or work. It is even rarer to see people of great faith who are doing wonderful things for God. We have a choice when we witness them. We can sit back and watch. We can denigrate and despise them. Or we can support them and join the work.

The apostles had already joined Jesus and had witnessed another reason to stay with Him and support Him. They would carry this amazing vision with them into their ministry after Jesus left them. We, too, can share this vision with them. We can be amazed at what God can do. We can be inspired to follow Jesus and strive to further His work on this earth.

I pray we all are inspired to work with Jesus. I pray we are amazed at what God can do and has done. I pray each one of us will follow Jesus and seek to carry out His work on earth. Be amazed at God. Be inspired by Jesus. Seek to do His work. Know that He has called you. 

Mark 9:2-4 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

Wait, Hope, Remain

Do you like to wait? What have you put your hope in? What does it mean to you to remain or to be steadfast? Have you grown weary? Do you need to be reenergized? Are you holding on to your faith and putting your hope in God?

We don’t like to wait. Sometimes our hopes are nothing more than mere wishes. It is challenging to be steadfast and hold on to our principles. We grow tired of the constant battle. We need a new source of energy and determination.

If we are going about our daily tasks in our own strength, growing tired and weary will happen. We only have so much stamina, regardless of our desire, education, and training. Sooner or later, we will crumble like a dried-out potato chip.

It is only as we remain in God that we gain the new energy we need. The word “wait” in the third line can be translated as wait for, hope, or remain. In other words, the prophet was stating so long as we put our faith in God and stand strong in our belief, God will renew us. We release our timeline and follow God’s. We give up our will to follow his.

God answers our plea for help, even if he does not answer in the way we prefer. Though we live in a world filled with chaos, hate, discord, prejudice, and abuse, we can rise above the fray. It is in our submitting to him that we can truly soar above the chaos on wings like eagles. It is in our submission that we can live the abundant life Jesus said He came to give us.

I pray we all seek to remain in God. I pray we give up our will to be in his. I pray each one of us will wait for the Lord by putting our faith and trust in him. Remain in God’s will. Put your hope in him. Wait for God to show the way. Have your strength renewed. Soar on wings like eagles.

Isaiah 40:30-31

Even youths will faint and be weary, 

and the young will fall exhausted; 

but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, 

they shall mount up with wings like eagles, 

they shall run and not be weary, 

they shall walk and not faint.

Have You Heard?

Today’s questions come from our Scripture passage. Take a moment and read them first. They are rhetorical questions. The prophet Isaiah knew the Israelites knew, heard, been told, but may not understand. We are in the same boat today.

We have heard about God. In fact, there is a growing curiosity among the young, the very young. Children in school are asking questions. We have even seen a few cases in the news or courts in which teachers have been accused of bringing up the subject of God…falsely.

Children are curious by nature. They are sponges who soak up everything they hear. It is their parents who may not want to know about God. Why? They had a bad experience with someone in the church. You know? That can happen in Walmart, Home Depot, or Kohls. They don’t stop shopping at those stores because they had one bad experience. Yet, they will stop going to church for that reason.

Isaiah has the same situation on his hands. The Israelites had been led astray. They had worshiped idols. They had turned to evil. They also had been taken into captivity as punishment for their sins as a nation. Isaiah is reminding them of God, who had chosen them. He is seeking to turn them back to God.

Sound familiar? We live in the same situation today. Perhaps we have not been taken into captivity by another country, but we are prisoners of our culture. We need to be reminded just as the Israelites need to be reminded. God is far greater than any ruler, person, or nation on this earth. We, like children who are curious, need to seek to know God better and build a close relationship with him.

I pray we all seek to know God better. I pray we seek to build a closer relationship with him. I pray each one of us will turn our hearts back to God and join his children to worship him together. Know God better. Build your relationship with him. Give God you heart. Be curious. Worship him together.

Isaiah 40:21-23

Have you not known? Have you not heard? 

Has it not been told you from the beginning? 

Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 

It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, 

and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; 

who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, 

and spreads them like a tent to live in; 

who brings princes to naught, 

and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing.

Fear the Lord

Do you seek to prove yourself to others? Are you a weightlifter? Do you want to be stronger physically? Do you seek to be stronger mentally? Are you seeking to have power or authority over others? Why do you seek strength or power? Is it to boost your self-esteem?

Humans have sought power for thousands of years. It may be physical strength or mental strength or political power. We often seek it to outperform or to rule over others. Physical strength is rewarded with trophies and medals. Winners are put on a pedestal.

Those who seek power often desire to tell others what to do. It may be in our workplaces or in the political arena. Though many seek that power to make things better, many also seek it out of personal ambition, seeking personal glory. We seek the power for selfish reasons. But that does not please God.

The Psalmist tells us that God is not impressed by physical strength. And why should he be? He is the one who has given us the strength we have. We are to recognize that God has given us the body we have and give him thanks for it. Realizing God has blessed us to be who we are is a step in the right direction. Thanking him and using the talents he has blessed us with for his glory is the next step.

God honors those who fear him. Yes, that word means to be afraid. We may balk at that based on what we have been taught. Yet, it makes sense. When we realize the awesome power God has, we should be afraid. Our fear should cause us to submit to him and put our hope in him, since we also know he has our best interest at heart. Putting our hope in him and loving him because of his power and love for us is what pleases God.

I pray we all recognize God’s awesome power. I pray we submit to him. I pray each one of us will put our hope in him and love him with our whole heart. Recognize God’s power. Know that you cannot impress him. Submit to his will. Put your hope in God. Love God as he loves you.

Psalm 147:10:11

His delight is not in the strength of the horse, 

nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;

but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, 

in those who hope in his steadfast love.