Cut the Links!

Daily Devotional – Monday, December 5, 2022
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: 21 (NIV)

When the time had come for Prophet Elijah to leave his office, God instructed him to anoint Elisha as the new prophet. For Elisha to be effective in his new vocation, he needed to cut the links that bound him to his vocation and daily life.

God Calls Elisha to the Ministry

“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.” (1 Kings 19:19).

It is noteworthy that Elisha was working when the Lord called him to the ministry. This trend is evident, for example, in the life of Moses (a shepherded) and the fishermen Jesus called to spread the gospel.

Severing Vocational Ties

God calls those who are already at work. Idleness and laziness are foreign concepts in the kingdom of God. As we wait for God to assign us higher responsibilities, we must execute what is in our hands diligently and faithfully.

Elijah wanted to test Elisha’s desire for and commitment to the office of prophet. Thus, when Elijah placed his cloak on Elisha, the former walked away. Elisha left his oxen, ran after Elijah and requested to go and bid farewell to his kin. Elijah was not pleased but he obliged.

Separating from the Familiar

“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 19:21).

Elisha teaches us that when we commit ourselves to God’s work, we are not to look back. His farming life was over. He had no plough or oxen. His family realized that Elisha’s mind was made up. They could not convince him to return to his former vocation.

Disconnecting from Boats and Nets

Contrast this with Peter, after the death of Jesus. The apostle told his colleagues, “I’m going out to fish.” (John 21:3). They followed Peter, retrieved their boats and nets, and returned to their former vocation – fishing.

If we are to give God undivided commitment and diligent service, we must cut links with our pasts. This includes relatives, friends, associations, physical places, habits and anything that would attract us to our former ways of thinking, acting and living.

Cut the Links

Elisha entered the ministry with all his mind, soul and body. God used him to bless people and to restore godliness. What attitudes, thoughts, practices, materials objects and people are hindering you from growing spiritually and being effective in God’s work? Cut the links!

Prayer
Lord Jesus, strengthen my will through Your Holy Spirit to the extent that I will cut links with anything and anyone that hinders me from undivided commitment and service to you.