An unlimited portion of God’s Spirit.

Scripture:
2 Kings 2:9 "And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?’ Elisha said, ‘Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.’"

Observation:
God told Elijah to get Elisha and have him become the next prophet behind him. Everywhere that Elijah went, Elisha followed. He pursued him like dogs on a fox. He was relentless in his pursuit. Finally, when it was time for Elijah to leave this world, he asked Elisha what he wanted him to do for him. Elisha replied that he wanted a double portion of Elijah’s spirit to be upon him when he left. Elisha had to be around when Elijah was taken from earth. If he saw Elijah taken up into heaven, the double portion would come, and come it did.

Application:
Today I hear God speaking to me about His Spirit being upon me not in a double portion but an unlimited portion. I want all of God’s Spirit to operate in and through me to his people and to the lost of this world. Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they had received the gift of the Holy Spirit, who would empower them to be his witnesses starting there in town and going to the surrounding areas and finally into the whole world.

You see we can do nothing without God whether it is from the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit because all three are God. There is only one God but three parts to that one God. He has all power and authority in heaven and on earth and beneath the earth. He created all things by Jesus, through Jesus, and for Jesus. We were created for his good pleasure. Thus, it makes sense logically and spiritually that we operate in the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given to us. The gifts exercised by the apostles are not gone and were not just for their day. They are for all believers. Didn’t Peter say that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was for all believers as prophesied by the prophet Joel?

Elisha wanted to operate with a double portion of Elijah’s spirit because Elijah was a strong man of God who performed many mighty acts in God’s name. Elisha did do twice and many miracles as Elijah and was considered a greater prophet that his predecessor, but he had two thing not going for him. First, he asked only for a double portion whereas God could have given him an unlimited portion if he had asked. Second, God’s Spirit never lived inside him but only came upon him. We today are the temple of the Holy Spirit; he is Jesus’ gift to all believers.

Don’t undersell yourself. When you live for God, you have the entirety of heaven at your disposal. Learn to be sensitive to God’s Spirit; he will teach you and guide you in all truth. If he desires he can and will allow you to operate or use each of the spiritual gifts listed in the New Testament. Jesus did! If our Savior did, we are supposed to follow his lead and example. What he did, we can do. In fact, he said we would do greater things than he did! Don’t sell yourself short. Desire to have an unlimited portion of God’s Spirit moving in and through you.

Prayer:
Father, you have given me the gifts that I operate in now. However, I do desire to use each gift Paul mentioned in his letters. They are all for the building up of the church and empowering us to be your effective witnesses to the lost. Some gifts you gave us at birth, but others you have reserved for when we are growing in the faith. Allow all of your holy gifts to work in and through me for the benefit of your people and for the conversion, baptism, and discipling of the lost. I don’t want just a double portion of your power. I want to operate in the fullness of the Lord because you said that all power and authority had been given to you, Jesus. Then you sent out the apostles to turn the world upside down; please do likewise through me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.