OCTOBER 1, 1 Kings 19:16; 2 Timothy 2:2 

Elisha was a prophet during the Old Testament time. He was the successor of Elijah who served God under the reign of King Ahab and his son, King Ahaziah. Elisha served for more than 50 years during the reigns of four kings. Both prophets ministered to the northern kingdom of Israel warning the people to turn away from their sin of idolatry and to turn back to worshipping the Lord.They also warned them about God’s punishment. They were indeed two of the greatest prophets named in the Bible.

We learnt how faithful and obedient to God Elijah was. One of his last tasks was to anoint Elisha as a prophet. It was God who chose Elisha. Elijah did not know of Elisha’s existence at all. In 2 Timothy 2:2, Apostle Paul told Timothy to teach other godly men what he was taught. In turn, these godly men could teach other godly men the knowledge of God that they had learnt. Have you ever watched athletes running a 4 x 100m relay race? Each runner will carefully pass the baton to the next runner. However, there are differences. In the race of faith, speed does not count. The number of participants is not known beforehand. Neither is the distance of the race. This is because the race will last till our Lord Jesus returns.

The “passing of the baton” from Elijah to Elisha took place when Elijah and Elisha were separated by a chariot of fire and horses of fire. Elijah was then taken up into heaven by a whirlwind. Elisha took the mantle or cloak that fell from Elijah. We shall see what miracle Elisha performed with the mantle.

Thought: God has chosen Elisha. He knows everything about everyone.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, may our church leaders all fear Thee. May they continue to faithfully preach and teach Thy Word. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.