No Backing Up

Yesterday at church we started a new series about Elisha. You can check it out at www.lifechurch.tv for an online experience. Here were the verses we focused on which tells about Elisha's calling:

So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.” “Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?” So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant. (1 Kings 19:19-21 NIV)

Wow. This is crazy! Elisha receives a word from God through Elijah and IMMEDIATELY obeys! He believes it so deeply he gets rid of a 'plan B' with the oxen and the plow. No doubt in his mind at all.

Sometimes I can see that kind of faith in myself. However, most of the time, I get too easily side tracked by the flesh or what surrounds me. In this way, I see my heart more like Peter than Elisha. I answer the Lord's calling, but then the waves get bigger around me and I take my eyes off God. I doubt and try to find the alternate route, the back-up plan. It never works and I end up starting to drown. Then I find myself crying out, like Peter, "Lord, save me!"

May this story of Elisha become so ingrained into my soul that when I hear the Lord calling me, I too can immediately obey, discard any 'back-up' plans and walk forward in faith.