September 17 Qualified

September 17

Qualified

1 Kings 19:19-21 So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, "Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you." And he said to him, "Go back again, for what have I done to you?" 21 And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.

ELISHA seems to have been a regular farmer, doing his work until Elijah anointed him into his prophetic ministry. This should not surprise us. After all, since the dawn of creation, God's pattern has been to anoint ordinary people to do his extraordinary work. We can go back to Adam and Eve, to whom God gave the work to have dominion over the earth. Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (In light of the first couple's sin, we forget the magnificent mandate with which our Lord blessed them. Oh, the lost opportunity to experience God's joy!) From there God called such people as Noah, Abram, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Rahab, Gideon, Deborah, David, Mary, Peter, James, John, Paul and you to do his work.

           Yes, you are in that list of God's anointed if you confess your sins before God and call on the name of Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You are anointed to be a child of the Living God. You are anointed to love God and to love others. 

           Yes, you are an ordinary person whom God has qualified into an extraordinary and eternal anointing. The Holy Spirit has acted throughout history to qualify each chosen man and woman in the Holy Spirit's power. He acts today to empower you to know and live into an effective life for Jesus.

           Believe this and live in the joy of your salvation. I pray you never disqualify yourself from being a disciple of Jesus with such words as, "I'm not smart enough." "I'm not good enough." "I'm not willing." "I'm not able." "My sin is too large." No persons in the past or in the present has the knowledge, strength, will, ability and purity to answer God's anointing on their own. It is God's power to call and qualify us.

           Live into your anointed faith life. Know God. Serve God. Help others do the same. Live into the joy of your salvation.

Prayer: Thank you, Spirit, for anointing me to believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Turn my heart to truly love you daily. In Jesus' name, amen.