Morning by Morning, August 29 - The Mantle of Elijah Became the Mantle of Elisha Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my heart and in the middle of every moment of my day. ... “So (Elijah) departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, ‘Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you. “And he said to him, ‘Go back again, for what have I done to you?’ “So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant” (1 Kings 19:19-21). There came a time in Elisha’s life when it was time to receive the “mantle” that would mark his calling and ministry for the next season of his life. A “mantle” was like a cloak or robe or something physical in the natural realm that represented a measure of authority to identity with your calling and responsibility in the spiritual realm. Elijah was a prophet, called to hear and to speak the word of the Lord in obedience and faith, who wore a prophet’s mantle. And You told Elijah to “anoint” Elisha as a prophet to take his place in time to come (v. 16). So Elijah found Elisha and “threw his mantle on him” (v. 19). There would now come a time of training and equipping, of mentoring and discipling, of growing in the gifts and graces of God, for Elisha to be ready to for his mantle when that day would come. And that day would famously come several years later when Elisha’s mentor, Elijah, would be taken up into heaven by whirlwind in a chariot of fire among horses of fire (2 Kings 2:11). At that moment, Elisha was right there to take up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen to the earth as he was caught up into heaven (v. 13). In the fullness of Your time and plan for Elisha’s life, the mantle of Elijah became the mantle of Elisha. But there was also a season of time between the calling and the commissioning for Elisha. From the day Elijah threw his mantle on Elisha to signal the calling of Elisha into this new season of his life and ministry until the day Elijah’s mantle fell from heaven to be taken up by Elisha, Elisha was being prepared for his commissioning to come. When that day of commissioning came, Elisha immediately began to step into his calling and commissioning in the anointing of the Spirit of God that was upon him: “(Elisha) also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, ‘Where is the Lord God of Elijah?’ And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over. Now when the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho saw him, they said, ‘The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha’” (v. 13-15). At the time of his calling, Elisha was being faithful to the work he was doing. For him, it was plowing the fields of his father. Lord, I want to be found faithful, plowing the fields of my Father. And I want to be ready to receive the mantle of my calling for next season of my life. Train and equip me, mentor and disciple me, anoint and empower me to grow in the gifts and graces of God to be ready for whatever mantle You have for me when that day will come. I pray the same for every one of Your sons and daughters who are called by Your name to be called and commissioned in their destiny in You. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today. In the love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My friend, may you be found faithful in the fields of your Father, ready to be called and commissioned into all the Lord has for you now and in the season of your life to come to fulfill your destiny in Him, in Jesus' name. God bless you, my friend! And you have a great day!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries Mailing Address: 412 S. Adams Street #148 Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
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