Daily Devotional – Monday, August 24, 2026
Then he arose and followed Elijah and became his servant.
1 Kings 19:21 (NKJV)
Elisha was ploughing when Elijah approached him. Twelve yoke of oxen were working the field, and Elisha was with the twelfth. He was going about his usual work when Elijah passed by and threw his mantle on him. Elisha understood what the gesture meant. God had already asked Elijah to appoint him as the prophet who would succeed him. Now Elijah had come to call him. In the middle of a normal workday, Elisha received an invitation to give his life to a very different kind of service.
Behind the Plough
Elisha asked Elijah for permission to say goodbye to his parents. Then he returned to the oxen. He took a pair of oxen, slaughtered them, made meat, and gave it to the people. Then he went after Elijah. His reaction indicates he was serious about the call. He knew that following in the footsteps of Elijah would change his life. The farm had been his place of work, but now he would learn from Elijah and serve alongside him. Elisha accepted the change and took the first steps into the responsibility that God had given him.
The timing of the call is worthy of our attention. Elisha was working when Elijah found him. He was engaged in his daily responsibility, and God called him there. The passage gives us no reason to think Elisha had arranged this moment or expected it. He simply met God’s call as it came. We, too, can face today’s challenges while remaining open to what God might be asking of us.
When God Calls You to Leave What You Know
Elisha’s story also gives us a picture of what a serious response looks like. When the call came, he acted. He said goodbye to his family, dealt with his oxen, prepared food for the people, and went with Elijah. The Bible gives us an image of someone who understood the cost of his decision and moved forward anyway. God’s call sometimes requires us to change our plans and release things that have become familiar. When God’s voice is clear, we need to act accordingly.
Most of us spend our days doing ordinary things. We work, study, raise children, run businesses, serve others, and attend to countless responsibilities. Keep doing those things faithfully. At the same time, remain open to God’s guidance. He knows where your service can make the greatest difference. Elisha was holding a plough when his life took a new direction. You may also find that God begins something significant in the middle of an ordinary day. When He makes the next step clear, be ready to take it.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to serve You faithfully in the responsibilities You have given me today. Keep my heart open to Your direction, and give me courage to follow when You make the next step clear.
