“Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “I pray you, let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if you do not see me, it shall not be so. And as they still went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”
2 Kings 2:9-11 (RSV)
Elijah was taken directly into heaven without ever dying. His means of transport was a chariot of fire driven by angels, and Elisha his student saw it happen before his eyes.
Elijah somehow knew it was his last day on earth, so he told Elisha to ask one last thing of him, and Elisha asked for a double portion of the spirit Elijah had. Elisha then watched that fiery whirlwind swoop down and take his beloved mentor, directly to heaven. Elijah’s cloak was left behind, and Elisha took it, rolled it up and clutched it as he walked on alone.
When he arrived at the bank of the Jordan River, the moment of truth came. He touched the water with Elijah’s cloak and asked with a small amount of confidence, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” and the river instantly parted. When the water parted, he knew that the same God was with him and he received a double portion of His Spirit. From that point on, Elisha began a new era of his own ministry, with the Lord’s anointing upon him.
It was the best thing to ask for, by asking for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. In this current world, it seems that each generation needs a double portion of the Spirit, more than the generation before. Elisha grew in confidence and anointing, as he developed his own unique ministry.
He matured to become “the”prophet of the land, whose miracles and ministry touched many lives. With a double portion of the Spirit, He did amazing things. He raised a child from the dead, he brought an endless supply of provision that sustained widows in desperate need. Leprosy was the most feared and incurable disease of the time, but It was Elisha who healed Naaman’s leprosy by telling him to plunge seven times in the Jordan river. Elisha became the prophet of the rich and poor, leading all of them to believe in the one true God.
I think God really loves when we ask big of Him. Asking big means asking God to be magnified through our lives in some way. It grows our faith and reveals God’s greatness to others. He gives us the confidence to exemplify Him, in every small thing we do and wherever we go. Elisha started out with a small amount of confidence, but his request for a double portion, took him a long way.
If we ask of God, He will give us a double portion of courage, love, patience, compassion, mercy, wisdom, and faith. We can all use a double portion of something, and He also gives us a double portion of confidence to accomplish what He is leading us to do.
After reading this story I thought of a specific person in my son’s Nursing Facility, who I started to pray for specifically. I see her there every time I visit. She is only 38, and though I don’t know her story, because of privacy laws, I’ve heard tidbits from others of her having a possible history of being abused and abusing drugs. She looks like a teenager, compared to the other residents, and she sits by herself every day. She never has visitors, and appears catatonic, never looking at or speaking to anyone. It’s so sad, but I am asking for a double portion of love and wisdom to know how to one day connect with Amber.
God is an infinite source of unlimited pure love. He loves us and desires that we also show His love to others. He is the source for all the other virtues that we need, to live a life pleasing to Him. If we ask Him for a double portion of anything, I believe He is not only pleased that we ask, but will do it.
Soon after Elisha asked for a double portion, the waters of the Jordan parted for him. God wants to part some waters in our lives and send us double of whatever we need.
Lord, we ask, like Elisha, for a double portion of your Spirit. We believe you want to give us double of every virtue, so that we can bless those we meet as we journey through this life. Amen