Message
When Elijah went to Elisha’s farm and threw his mantle on him, Elisha didn’t waste time before he surrendered all to answer God’s call. Elisha seemed to be a rich fellow because Elijah met him plowing with twelve yokes of oxen when he passed by him. However, Elisha didn’t count this as anything because he returned home, killed a yoke of oxen, gave it to his people, and followed Elijah to become his servant. Within a day, the manager of an apparently thriving agricultural business became a prophet’s servant.
Elisha ministered to Elijah and was known as the one who poured water on the hands of Elijah (). The blessings Elisha got for surrendering all in service to God are unquantifiable. He received a double portion of Elijah’s anointing (), became a father to kings (), and even after his death, his dry bones raised a dead man back to life (). When a man surrenders all to the One who made him, he will live an impactful life.
From Elisha’s story, we see that lasting greatness begins with absolute surrender. Any seed that will count for anything, must first enter into the soil and die. It must surrender its beauty and strength so as to rot in the earth before new life can sprout from it. Jesus said:
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone:but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
Beloved, surrender all to the One who made you, and He will guide you aright. When you surrender your life to God, you are asking Him to help you because you don’t know the best way to live your life. In , Jesus said, “Without me, you can do nothing.” Paul also knew the secret to absolute surrender, and that is why he said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” ().
Those who surrender all to Jesus will gain more in the end. However, those who keep a part of their lives, like Ananias and Sapphira in end up losing even more than the things they are trying to keep.