HOW TO REPLACE A GRUMPY PROPHET

 

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

 

HOW TO REPLACE A GRUMPY PROPHET

 

1 Kings 19:19-21

19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?

21 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.

 

Luke 9:61-62

61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

 

          Elijah was tired and a bit grumpy as well. He had fought a great spiritual battle but the strain upon him left him in a cave asking God for retirement in the form of sudden death. God told him that he wasn’t quite finished with his tasks. He had at least two things left to do before mounting the fiery chariot for heaven. One of those was to select his own replacement.

 

          Elisha was found plowing with two dozen oxen which indicated that his family was wealthier than most. Elijah, without saying a word, cast his outer garment upon Elisha, indicating the Lord’s call upon his life. The sudden shift from plow man to preacher man must have been a shock. He requests just enough time to bid his family farewell. Elijah flew into a bit of a rage which questioned the commitment of this young farmer.

 

          What Elisha does next proved that he had no intention of limiting God’s control of his life. He killed two of the plow oxen for a farewell feast and used his plow for fuel. We might understand that he was “burning his bridges.” There would be no turning back because there was nothing to return to.

 

          Dr. Charles Stanley says: “You are only as committed as you are obedient to whatever God is asking of you at any given moment. If you've posted a "no trespassing" sign anywhere in your life, it's time to take it down.”

 

Dear Lord, I unlock all my locked and secret doors. I do not want to limit your access. AMEN

 

LORD, HAVE MERCY!

 

Tuesday, August 25, 2026

 

LORD, HAVE MERCY!

 

Ps 123

123 Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

3 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

4 Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

 

          This Psalm addresses the cruel treatment of those Jews held captive by the Babylonians. We ask ourselves if anyone has ever suffered like the Jew! Yet missiologists say that more Christians have been martyred in the twentieth century than all other centuries combined.

 

          “Lord, have mercy!” was used often by mother and her generation. I have heard her say it many times. Too many times, actually, because I was often the cause of her consternation. Whenever she couldn’t understand my actions and attitudes, whenever she couldn’t believe the mess I had made of things, and whenever I needed grace, she would often say “Lord, have mercy.” I usually joined her very soon in saying it myself.

 

          Asking for God’s mercy is an admission of our weakness and His strength. It acknowledges our emptiness and His fullness. It confesses our stupidity and His wisdom. It is a cry for help when we are suffering. It is a cry for wisdom when we are perplexed. It is a cry for rescue when we are in trouble.

 

Lord, have mercy on all those who call on thee today. AMEN

 

PRAYING FOR RAIN

 

Monday, August 24, 2026

 

PRAYING FOR RAIN

2Ch 7:13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 

14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 

 

          Here in Texas, we do not take rain for granted. Currently we are under a heat dome. Temperatures have been, and will continue to be, above 100 degrees for at least another ten days. Each day there is an air quality alert, extreme heat warning, and an ozone action day. In simpler terms, it is unhealthy to leave the house.

 

          Rain was essential in the Holy Land as well. Crops and sheep needed cool water and green pastures. God said that a lack of rain was an indication of His displeasure. He gave Solomon a formula for rain.

 

          Humility. If my people shall HUMBLE themselves. The word humble is kaw-nah’ which literally means “to bend the knee.”

 

          Prayer. The word PRAY is paw-lal’ not only means “to intercede” but also “to judge.” The idea is that we judge ourselves.

 

          Turn. The Hebrew word is shoob and it means “to turn back or to turn away.” The simple idea is that we should stop the wrong we are doing and return to doing the right things.

 

          God’s promised response is to HEAR, not simply to hear but to pay attention. FORGIVE, and HEAL. The word for heal is raw-faw’ and it means “to mend by stitching.”

 

Psa 23:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

Psa 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 

Psa 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 

 

Lord, we need rain. Repair by stitching our broken fellowship. AMEN