The Experience Must Come
"And he saw him no more."
2Kings 2:12
"It is not wrong to depend upon Elijah as long as God gives him to you, but remember the time will come when he will have to go; when he stands no more to you as your guide and leader, because God does not intend he should. You say-"I cannot go on without Elijah." God says you must.
Alone at your Jordan. (v.14) Jordan is the type of separation where there is no fellowship with anyone else, and where no one can take the responsibility for you. You have to put to the test now what you learned when you were with your Elijah. You have been to your Jordan over and over again with Elijah, but now you are up against it alone. It is no use saying you cannot go; this experience has come, and you must go. If you want to know if God is the God you have faith to believe Him to be, then go through your Jordan alone.
Alone at your Jericho. (v.15) Jericho is the place where you have seen your Elijah do great things. When you come to your Jericho you have a strong disinclination to take the initiative and trust in God, you want someone else to take it for you. If you remain true to what you learned with Elijah, you will get the sign that God is with you.
Alone at your Bethel (v.23) At your Bethel you will find yourself at your wit's end and at the beginning of God's wisdom. When you get to your wit's end and feel inclined to succumb to panic, don't; stand true to God and He will bring His Truth out in a way that will make your life a sacrament. Put into practice what you learned with your Elijah, use his cloak and pray. Determine to trust in God and do not look for Elijah anymore."
This was my daily devotional reading from Oswald Chamber's famous devotional: My Utmost for His Highest on the 11th of August. The Lord gave this reading exactly one week after arriving to the orphanage, at the point in time I was feeling a bit physically drained, as I had not fully recovered from what felt like "time travel" before joyfully running straight into the work of the orphanage. Secondly, I was beginning to feel somewhat mentally overwhelmed and emotionally weak as my heart broke when learning of each child' life story, realizing the absence of love they have experienced. Also, up to this point, God has truly been teaching me the value of solitude; however being here has deeper moments of solitude I'm learning to appreciate. Thirdly, I began to spiritually recognize my need for Jesus to experience all that He has willed for me here. This includes the spiritual warfare He has opened my eyes to! And so I cry out to Jesus on behalf of these beautiful children and devoted staff that He would remain their Protector, their Healer, and their Father. Please do not misunderstand, for this is an INCREDIBLE journey to be walking with the Father in!!!! For in this journey, while I am seeing God's faithfulness to these beautiful children in the day to day, I am also experiencing His presence in deeper ways: as my Companion, my Healer, and my Protector.
Though I'm in my last month here in India, I look forward to sharing the many stories of God's faithfulness I've experienced here and the excitement of faith for what He has ahead. Because of the intensity of this journey and the attention I've aimed to give to this experience, I have yet to post a blog update. Please don't misread the absence of my sharing! I will share my experiences on this blog as the time allows while I'm in India and will continue to do so beyond my 3-month journey here. It is important to me that you all see their faces and hear of their stories: of God's beloved here at the Gerizim Orphanage. I wish there was some way I could sufficiently express my thankfulness for each of you!!! As many of you have shared your lives with me, you have been as a guide of faith similar to the way Elijah was to Elisha. Your journey of support is quite palpable and leaves me overflowing with gratitude!! I believe God is sustaining my encouragement of faith in this journey by way of your supportive and prayerful journey of this experience!
These are some of the scriptures which have "come to life" in this journey thus far:
"He executes justice for the orphan and the widow,…For He has been a defense for the helpless, a defense for the needy in distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat;…" Deut. 10:18a, Isaiah 25:4a
"The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayers of the righteous." Proverbs 15:29
"Behold, I have inscribed you in the palm of My hands;…Surely our grief He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgression, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed." Isaiah 49:16; 53:4-5
