A double portion

A Double Portion

‘And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.’

2 Kings 2:9

It was the custom in Old-Testament times for the eldest son to be granted two thirds of the estate left to the family. He received double what the others sons received. So I doubt that Elisha could have asked for more than he did. I heard a sermon preached on this text almost twenty years ago and I have prayed the same request as Elisha ever since.

'Lord, grant me a double portion of thy spirit.'

I want all that the Lord is willing to give me! I want my family saved. I want health and strength of body and mind and the ability to earn an honest living for my family. I want revival to come to our land once more. I want to shine for my Saviour for the short time that remains. I ask daily for these things. It is not all that I ask for, but it has been the core of my prayers since first I met the Lord.
Am I being greedy? Perhaps, but I seek neither wealth nor worldly gain. Additionally, though, I do ask for more of a personal communion and walk with the Good Master.

The further I go in this life the more desperate I am for this Friendship to grow and to be all consuming. He has proved to be so dependable, so reliable, so loving and caring that He is all that a Christian could ever wish for in this life.

If we experience 'moments' when the power of His blessed Spirit is upon us then surely it will be our desire to ask for more? Others cried, 'evermore Lord give us this bread!' It is what I ask. The Lord truly delights in giving. That is the nature of love. It seeks not its own but delights in the object. It is the Lord's way to give. Should His children be any different?

We reel and stagger daily like one who is drunk. Often we feel as though we have reached our wit's end. Those upon whom we relied have let us down and disappointed us. Friends have failed us. Once again we feel the hurt deep within our souls. We faint.

The Lord however, remains faithful when all others let us down and forsake us. There is no need for us ever to feel lonely and if we do then the fault is ours and not the Lord's.
If I have learned anything through various trials it is that each one involved a separation. It is not a pleasant thing to be separated from those upon whom we have become dependant, but the Lord wants us to lean more on Him than on anyone else.

He does not want us to feel isolated or lonely, but rather He Himself is more than willing to fill any such void we may feel in our lives.
No doubt Elisha was in awe of his mentor and he may have been fearful of the challenges that lay ahead. I believe he made the perfect request, then, in seeking a double portion of Elijah's spirit. If the spiritual state of Scotland or any other place is at a low ebb at present then surely what is required is men and women who are filled with the Holy Spirit. Ask and you shall receive.

The gift has been purchased with blood, and the Lord will withhold no good thing from those that walk uprightly.
If we are to make a difference or an impact in our daily lives then we need to be infused with resurrection power. We must possess the dynamic of the Spirit that will replace fear with confidence, unbelief with faith, hatred with love and turmoil with peace. We need to be different!

So - let us be bold today in our request, and let us ask God for a double portion of His Spirit. A warning must be attached to this however: do not expect the Lord to give you such a gift in order for you to keep it under wraps! Fret not my brother or sister, but allow the Lord to use us as He sees fit.
Let us be greedy for God today. Let your light so shine before men that they will know that you have been with Jesus. The Lord shall light my candle so that it shall shine full bright.

Author : Iain Mackenzie Edited by : Pastor Al Moak