2 Kings 2:2
And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
One of the great early attributes of Elisha is that it was obvious he had a great desire for God to use him. Yes, there were some early signs that he was the type of person God could use by his work ethic, humility, loyalty to God’s man, and his commitment never to leave the man of God’s side.
However, there were four great tests before Elijah went to Heaven that determined if God could use Elisha in a powerful way. Elijah was about to be taken to Heaven, and there were three stopping points he made where Elisha could have stayed, and if Elisha had stayed at these stopping points, he would have never been used by God.
My desire as a teenage boy was that God would use me greatly. Let me make this clear; God never uses someone greatly who doesn't desire to be used by God greatly. Since my teenage years, I have read books about men whom God used greatly, I have studied their lives, and I have tried to emulate what they did all because I wanted God to use me as He used them. I truly believe God can still greatly use people today. However, you must face the four stopping points that Elisha faced if God will use you greatly.
Gilgal is the first stopping point. Gilgal is the place of separation. Twelve stones were set up in Gilgal that symbolized Israel had chosen never to go back to Egypt. You will never be used greatly by God if you are not willing to separate from the world. God has never used any worldly believer greatly. You must be willing to live a separated life from the world if God is going to use you. Fence straddlers have never been used mightily by God, but only those who are willing to go outside the camp and live a separated life are those whom God can use greatly.
Bethel is the second stopping point. Bethel is the place where Jacob set up the altar, which symbolized that this was the place where He met with God; it is the place of the altar. You will never be used greatly by God if you don’t have a walk with God. People who are used mightily by God are people who walk with Him daily. Whether you read the Scriptures or see great men from the past, you always see that every person God used greatly walked closely with Him. If you want God to use you, you must walk daily with Him in the Scriptures and in prayer.
Jericho is the third stopping point. Jericho is the place of faith. Israel faced the great walls that nobody could take down, but they had the faith to overcome those walls. You cannot be used mightily by God without living by faith. Your faith must be strong if God will use you. God’s power to work the miraculous in your life is determined by your faith. You cannot let fear control you and live a mighty life of faith. God only uses those mightily who don't stop at fear, but continue to walk forward by faith.
Jordan is the fourth stopping point. Jordan is a place of God’s power. Jordan is the place where God parted the waters for Joshua and Elijah. You cannot be used by God greatly if you don't have God’s power on your life. God’s power is the key to God using you. My question for you is, do you have God’s power on your life?
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