A DOUBLE PORTION: FOLLOWING THE LORD WHERE HE LEADS
“And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.” (2 Kings 2:1). Elijah had come to the end of his earthly ministry. God desired that His servant and faithful prophet should not die a natural death, but be miraculously translated from this life to the next like Enoch had been centuries before. Before his departure, Elijah asked the younger prophet, Elisha, what he could do for him before he was to be taken away. There was no hesitation in Elisha’s answer. He said that what he wanted more than anything was to have a double portion of Elijah’s spirit rest upon him. It was indeed a hard thing that Elisha was asking, but it was the one request that was most pleasing to His heavenly Father. Instead of asking for wealth or prominence, Elisha wanted only that which would enable him to fulfill God’s will and to serve God’s people more effectively. ...