Scripture:

“Then Elisha died and they buried him. Some time later, raiding bands of Moabites, as they often did, invaded the country. One day, some men were burying a man and spotted the raiders. They threw the man into Elisha’s tomb and got away. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came alive, stood up, and walked out on his own two feet.” 2 Kings 13:20-23 (MSG)

Perspective:

Elisha, the prophet, had died after a life of ministry. God’s power working through him had raised the Shunemmite’s son from the dead, healed Namaan of leprosy, and provided enough oil for a widow to pay her debts and feed her family. Elijah, Elisha’s predecessor, had also done miraculous signs, and God had taken him up in a chariot, so he did not die. Elisha prayed for a double portion of Elijah’s anointing. This anointing on Elisha’s life propelled his ministry, but it had a lasting impact. The presence of God was so stong on Elisha’s life that after he was gone, the presence of God was still there. Before Elisha’s death, he had prophesied to the king of Israel that they would only defeat the Syrians three times. So, when a group of men were trying to bury a dead man, their enemies came to attack them. Instead of finishing the job, these men decided they didn’t want to lose their life fighting the raiders. They went to plan B and threw the dead man into Elisha’s tomb.  Plan B for this dead man turned into a walking testimony. This miracle is one of the most brief and unusual miracles in the Bible. This man who was healed would serve as reminder of Elisha’s legacy and his word to the king of Israel about the limited defeat of the Syrians.

Elisha was an ordinary person like you and me, but he had a close relationship with an extraordinary God. However, it can be easy to segregate the great men of faith in the Bible into their own category. The same power that was available to them is available to you through Jesus to bring healing to people both physically and spiritually. The physical death in the Old Testament could also be viewed as a parallel to the spiritual death we all experience without Jesus in the New Testament. You may think that you could never raise a dead man to life. But God has empowered you to share the news of his salvation that can bring someone who is spiritually dead into a new life in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Is there such a power exuding from your life that it impacts people you may never meet? God’s anointing on our lives will enable us to impact people all around us. Be wide awake to the opportunities God brings you to share His life with others.

Scripture taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002.  Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[separator_small separator_width=” thickness=” up=” down=”]

About Hona Amer

I help people live life to the fullest. Check out my book, Smart Work U. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. In order to receive updates, subscribe below.

[separator_small separator_width=” thickness=” up=” down=”]