Get In Your Place!

Friday night I had a dream that I was sitting on the floor at my Pastor's wife's feet.  (Yes, she happens to be my mother-in-law too, but her role in ministry is significant to my dream.)  There were other ladies who are in leadership in our church sitting there as well.  She was teaching us.  As she would speak, crumbs would fly out of her mouth.  (She wasn't eating while she was talking!)  Each one of us on the floor had a tiny little brush and dust pan.  We would rush, trying to beat any of the other ladies, to get that crumb and put it safely away.  I woke up and thought, "Wow....that was really the dumbest and grossest dream I have ever had!"  Seriously!

That morning, I was reading 1 Kings 19.  In this chapter Elijah was running from Jezebel.  She had threatened to kill him because Elijah had killed somewhere around 450 prophets of Baal.  He went out into the wilderness and found a cave.......pretty much he was having a pity party before the Lord!  Then, we get to verse 11-12.  (I LOVE THESE VERSES!)

Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain

before the Lord.”

And behold, the Lord passed by,

and a great and strong wind tore into

 the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord,

but the Lord was not in the wind;

and after the wind an earthquake,

but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 

¹² and after the earthquake a fire,

but the Lord was not in the fire;

and after the fire a still small voice.

 

The Lord gives Elijah instruction in that still small voice to go back the way he came, THROUGH THE WILDERNESS, and anoint his successor.  I love that he also told him in verse 18, that indeed Elijah was not alone like he thought.  There were 7,000 in Israel, all whose knees had not bowed to Baal!  God always has a remnant....WE BETTER ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT! 

 

So Elijah, goes out back through the wilderness.  He finds Elisha who is plowing.  GET THIS.....ELISHA IS THE TWELFTH TEAM AND HE IS BEHIND TWELVE OXEN!  That will be significant in a minute.  Elijah passes by him and throws his mantle (or coat or shawl) and Elisha follows him.  Elisha is plowing one minute, then he is becoming successor to one of the greatest prophets who ever lived the next.  Eventually,  Elisha gets a double portion of Elijah's anointing because He won't leave Elijah. (2 Kings 2)  I LOVE ELISHA!

As I was reading this story Saturday morning, I knew what my dream meant as the Holy Spirit gave me revelation.  Those crumbs were Sister Julia's mantle, her words of wisdom, instruction, direction, correction, etc. that she was passing to us who are being raised up to be after her.  We would be wise to gather up as much as possible!  I would say that the majority of women who serve under her would say that we hope we are just like her one day!

The other thing the Lord showed me in this passage is about being in the place that the Lord has for us, being faithful, and waiting for his timing for our appointments.  If you remember, Elisha was way in the back plowing.  He was in the back of the back of the back....you get it.  A lot of times, Christians want to start out their service in the front.  IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT!  What if Elisha had decided he didn't like plowing that day, or that he wanted to be in the front.  What if he thought man it is too hot, the work is too hard, and I am really meant to be leading these teams instead of dragging in the rear.  If he wouldn't have been "IN PLACE"  he might have missed his opportunity.

God needs us to embrace the place that he has us.  Whether we are Sunday School teachers, clean toilets at the church, organize the food pantry, work in the nursery, serve in Africa as a missionary, or speak to thousands of people about Christ......if it is where God told you to be, he has not forgot about you.  He knows where you are.  He is waiting to see that you will be faithful with a little so he can catapult you to the next level.  Serve him joyfully where you are.  Don't decide that you want to do something else more or decide there are more opportunities at a church down the road.  Don't get angry and think no one recognizes your talent or giftings.  Wait on the Lord!  Don't get out of place!

We will all have our Elisha moments where we will be in the wilderness working and along comes an Elijah to pass on his mantle to us.  Where we step up to the next level in service to our Lord and anointing in our life. 

Believers, I have two things that I encourage you to do today.  First, glean as much wisdom from your spiritual authority as you can.  Accept instruction and correction without anger.  If you don't, you might find yourself displaced instead of in your place because of your anger.  Secondly, GET IN YOUR PLACE!  The body of Christ is one body.  It can not function without every organ, bone, tendon, etc.  Get there!  Be faithful!  Be patient!  The Lord knows when you are ready to go to the next level!