Free Daily Devotional for Monday, July 25, 2022

MONDAY, JULY 25, 2022

TEXT: 2 Kings 2:15-25

15. The sons of the men who tell what will happen in the future at Jericho saw him. And they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him and bowed to the ground in front of him.

16. They said to him, “Now see, there are fifty strong men with your servants. Let them go and look for your teacher. It might be that the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up and put him down on some mountain or into some valley.” And Elisha said, “Do not send them.”

17. But they talked to him until he was ashamed, and he said, “Send them.” So they sent fifty men to look for Elijah. But after three days they did not find him.

18. They returned to Elisha while he was staying at Jericho. And he said to them, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not go’?”

19. Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “See, it is pleasing to live in this city, as my lord sees. But the water is bad. And the land does not bring fruit.”

20. Elisha said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

21. Then he went out to the well of water and threw salt into it, and said, “This is what the Lord says, ‘I have made this water pure. It will not cause death or loss of fruit any more.’”

22. So the water has been pure to this day, just as Elisha said.

23. Then he left there and went to Bethel. Mon the way, some young boys came out from the city and made fun of him. They said to him, “Go up, you man with no hair! Go up, you man with no hair!”

24. He looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two female bears came from among the trees and tore up forty-two of the boys.

25. Elisha went from there to Mount Carmel, then returned to Samaria.

(New Life Version Holy Bible)

TOPIC: EMPOWERED TO SERVE OTHERS

Receivers of spiritual gifts are meant to use them to bless people, especially the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:4-7; Ephesians 4:11, 12) that they may grow unto perfection. Every blessing upon a man attracts responsibility and discipline on how it’s been use.

Shortly after God released the double portion to Elisha, the company of the prophets from Jericho was on hand to try Elisha’s faith. They insinuated that “Perhaps the spirit of the Lord has picked Elijah up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley” and that they may need to go and search him out.

That was doubting God’s act of taking him on ‘chariots of fire’. Elisha, who knew more about his master’s relationship with God, said, “No, do not send them.” After much pressure, he allowed them but their search was fruitless. Soon after this, a need to use the Elisha’s gift arose and he used it to bless a whole town. Whatever gift is bestowed on you, note that it is for the benefit of all.

QUESTION: How are you applying your gifts and talents for the benefits of others?

PRAYER: Make me a useful carrier of grace to edify the body of Christ, in Jesus name, Amen.