“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.” ~ I Kings 19:21
REFERENCE:
Fire unmastered is a destroyer; anything exposed to fire is burnt beyond recovery and turned to ashes. If you set anything on fire, you are saying it’s over for that thing; you do not need it again and are willing to live without it. In a sense, that is what you need to do to certain things that connect you to a past you want to leave behind. Like farmer Elisha, you have to burn your plow.
Elisha received an unusual calling to ministry from an unusual Prophet, Elijah. We cannot fully capture the spiritual exchange that occurred when Elijah’s cloak fell on Elisha’s back. Elisha was plowing on his farm when this happened. However, he suddenly felt a strong urge to change his vocation – from pushing a plow to leading a nation. It was a dramatic change from all he knew.
Elisha knew the certainty of his new call, yet, he must have struggled with leaving what he had always done and feared that he may someday return to it. Therefore, he returned and burnt his plow so there might never be a temptation to return. As God calls you to a higher and more meaningful life, are there plows that will make it difficult for you to rise to where God is calling you and what He wants to do in your life? God wants you to burn your plow – whatever it is.
A great warrior once faced a challenging situation. He made a tough decision that gave him success on the battlefield. He was to fight an enemy that outnumbered his men. He loaded his soldiers into boats, sailed to the enemy’s country, unloaded soldiers and equipment, then gave the order to burn their boats. He turned to his men and said, “Do you see the burning boats? We cannot leave these shores alive unless we win! We have no choice – we win or perish!” They won.
Your plow is anything that makes it tiring for you to serve God; it is the relationship that keeps eating at your self-esteem; it is the sleep, TV series, friendship, business, etc., that makes you compromise, cheat on your spouse, keep you disconnected from your children, and makes you miss your prayer time or fellowship with believers in the church. God’s verdict is: Burn your plow!
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL TEXTS:
Acts 19:18-20, Philippians 3:7-9, and Luke 9:61-62
PRAYER:
+ Lord, I ready myself for any new thing You want to do in my life. I refuse to put conditions before You. I am Yours.
+ Let the plows that have robbed me of Your best in life be burnt now by the fire of the Holy Spirit.
+ I declare that from today; I will live my best life – fulfilling my destiny and enjoying God’s grace.
