Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19.

Do we trust God with the new things He is doing? In 2 Kings 2 Elisha resolves to follow Elijah every time Elijah tells him to stay behind. 3 times Elijah tells Elisha to stay behind and at each place a company of prophets also tell him the Lord will take Elijah from Elisha. He knows. So Elijah asks Elisha what he can do for him before the Lord takes him. Can you imagine what it was like for Elijah? He knows God will soon take him to be with Him. He’s not afraid, he seems determined as he travels from 3 different places finally arriving at the Jordan River. What does Elisha ask of Elijah? “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” v. 9.

That’s not for Elijah to give.

“You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours – otherwise, it will not.” v. 10.

Not only did Elisha see Elijah taken from him, he saw something remarkable. As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. v. 11-12.

A new thing. As we find out later in 2 Kings 6:17, having witnessed God’s chariot and horsemen of fire, Elisha knows God is working powerfully always.

And as Elisha was staying at Jericho, the people of the city ask him to help them with the water that is bad leading to unproductive land. Elisha asks for a bowl with salt in it. When you ask a prophet for help, you do what he asks. Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’” v. 21. The Lord healed the water.

Elisha is the prophet of God and through God is bringing healing of water so people can live safely. He goes to Bethel and as he’s walking, some boys come out and begin to jeer at Elisha. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. v.23-24. This is a difficult passage to read. At first it sounds like a few boys but 42 are mauled. In the notes below it said: This group of youths was from Bethel, the religious center of idolatry in the northern kingdom, and they probably were warning Elisha not to speak against their immorality as Elijah had done. They were not merely teasing Elisha about his baldness, but showing severe disrespect for Elisha’s message and God’s power. Do we teach our kids not to disrespect others? If that is important for our kids and for us, it’s important for all kids; and these kids learned the hard way as did those who heard about what happened.

I love the imagery of making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. We have God’s promise of renewal. For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. Isaiah 44:3.

Let us bring honor and respect to God and rejoice in all the new things He is doing for us. Through His love, He brings understanding to the thirsty dry ground of our hearts. For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Romans 15:4.

In God we have hope. Never lose sight of the wonders of His love. We may not see chariots and horsemen of fire but they are there. Everything was written to teach us so we might have hope.