Today’s devotion is about God’s gift to the church. In Ephesians, the pastor is a gift to the church. Every godly pastor deserves our obedience, respect, and love!

Bible Reading of the day
AM – 2 Kings 1-3
PM – John 3:22-36

𝕿𝖎𝖙𝖑𝖊: 𝕿𝖍𝖚𝖘 𝖘𝖆𝖎𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕷𝕺𝕽𝕯
2 Kings 2:18 KJV
And when they came again to him, (for he tarried at Jericho,) he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not?

Chapters 1 to 3 were the transition period, and the baton passed from Elijah to Elisha. In chapter 1, we still see the prophet Elijah doing his job. His motto is simply, THUS SAITH THE LORD. Until God is not finished with him, he continues and boldly proclaims the Word of God. What a wonderful display of obedience in the life of the prophet Elijah.

Chapter 2 open us in verse 1 saying, “And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.” We recognise that Elisha wanted to follow the prophet Elijah, and he supported his decision to do so, in 1 Kings 19:21 the Bible says, “And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.” Then, in this chapter, we saw how the prophet Elijah discouraged Elisha and tested his desire to follow. Three times, Elisha was given the opportunity to stop following the prophet. (Those three dealings are another lesson; yet this devotion will not focus on them.)

Now, I want you to focus on our lesson today, on the words of the prophet Elisha when he said, “Did I not say unto you, Go not?” This is his response to the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho. They saw him and said, “The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed themselves to the ground before him. They thought, in verse 16, saying, “And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the Lord hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley.” And he said, “YE SHALL NOT SEND.” It is funny to think that these groups of sons of the prophets that God drops Elijah somewhere in the mountains or into some valleys. And Elisha answered and told them, “Ye shall not send.” Their response? In verse 17, they are like the other Christians; they think they are better than their pastor. When the pastor advises them of something, their immediate response is to question him, and most of the time, they accuse him of making up stories. Look what the Bible says, “And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send. They sent therefore fifty men; and they sought three days, but found him not.“

I have been encountering these types of issues. Sometimes, people label me as someone who fabricates intrigues. Little do they realise that my intentions come from love. I genuinely care for my fellow believers; when I give warnings, it’s out of sincere love and concern for God’s flock. I’ve counselled and cautioned individuals against specific actions they were considering. I aimed to persuade them not to proceed, but they went ahead regardless, and now it’s too late; they’ve realised I was right all along. Why not avoid the hassle and simply trust the godly pastor appointed to care for your soul? To determine whether the pastor’s advice aligns with God’s will, return to the basics of what the Bible says. From there, you can discern whether you have a godly pastor or merely one fulfilling his duty.

As a pastor, I strive to fulfil my responsibilities to the best of my abilities. This commitment stems not merely from a sense of duty but from my profound love for the Lord, who in turn loves you. I love God’s people like you, because I love the Lord.