Wed.’s Devo -The Next Generation

Read: 2 Kings 1:1-2:25; Acts 13:42-14:7; Psalm 139:1-24; Provers 17:19-21 Ahaziah became king after Ahab. He was not king long when he fell through the latticework of an upper room in his palace. He sent some messengers to the temple of Baal-zebub, the god of Eckron to ask if he would recover. Eckron was in the land of the Philistines. *** Elijah intercepted the messengers and told gave them a message for the king. He asked him if there was not a God in Israel. Because Ahaziah had sought the Philistine’s pagan god instead of their God, he would not recover. When they gave Ahaziah the message he questioned them about the messenger. He recognized immediately that it was Elijah. He sent 50 men to arrest him. (The number 50 is found 7 times in today’s reading.) *** They found Elijah sitting on top of a hill and commanded him to come down. Elijah commanded fire to come down and consume them. It did. Ahaziah sent another 50 and the same thing happened. He sent a third group of 50 but this commander feared God and Elijah. He climbed up the hill and bowed down before Elijah begging for mercy. Elijah went with this man who humbled himself. He told Ahaziah the same exact thing he had said at the beginning. He would die and not recover. *** Ahaziah did die and had no son to succeed him so his brother Joram, another of Ahah’s son became king. *** It was time for Elijah to leave earth and all the prophets sensed it. Elisha and Elijah had just left Gilgal. Elijah told Elisha to stay there, an d he was going to Bethel alone. Bethel means “house of God”. Elisha refused to leave him so they both went. Once again Elijah tried to get rid of Elisha so he could go to heaven and Elisha refused to leave. Then went together to Jericho where Elijah folded his cloak and struck the water. It divided and the both crossed on dry ground. Fifty the prophets had been following them also. They stayed a distance away. When they reached the other side, Elijah asked what Elisha wanted. He told him he wanted a double portion of his Spirit. He told him if he saw him leave he would get his request. *** Suddenly a chariot of fire came and carried Elijah in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw it! When he was gone, Elisha picked up Elijah’s cloak he had left and returned to the Jordan. He struck the water with it and it parted. The fifty prophets saw this and asked if they could go and look for Elijah’s body. They begged him until he finally gave in and let them go look for it but, of course, they didn’t find it. *** The first miracle Elisha was asked to do was to heal the land. The water caused death and infertility. He asked for a new bowl and salt and poured it into the water. The water was healed. The next thing he did was to stop the disrespect of the younger generation. He cursed the young mockers and 42 of them were killed by 2 bears. *** Will this be what we will do when we get our nation back? Our land needs healing from all the poisons and chemicals they have put in them. And our media needs to be cursed for mocking God with all its disinformation and glorification of evil. May it be that our godly women are fertile and can replenish a godly generation. *** In Acts, Paul and Barnabas had preached their first message in the synagogue. The next Sabbath, the whole town showed up to hear their preaching. The Jews were jealous of their popularity and started to oppose their teaching. Paul proclaimed that since they rejected his message, he was going to the Gentiles who were gladly receiving the Good News about Jesus. The Jews incited a riot and ran Paul and Barnabas out of town. But, the believers were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. *** Paul and Barnabas went to Iconium where the same thing happened. There was a split and some received their words and those that opposed were violently opposed. They ran them out of town wanting to stone them. They went to Lystra and Derbe and continued to preached salvation to the Gentiles. *** Lord, we have been given the words of life. May we not bow down or be intimidated by those who oppose the truth. May this next generation of warriors have courage to stand for truth and spread your message and your love everywhere. Annoint us for this hour.