Once Elisha had heard that his mentor Elijah was going to be
taken from him, he refused to leave his side. He said to Elijah, “Not on your life! I’m not letting you
out of my sight!” 2 Kings 2:6 (MSG) When the day came for Elijah to be taken up
in a whirlwind to heaven, he “took his cloak, rolled it up, and hit the water
with it. The river divided and the
two men walked through on dry land." 2 Kings 2:8 (MSG) After performing this miracle he then asked
Elisha, “What can I do for you before I’m taken from you? Ask anything.” Then Elisha said, “Your life repeated
in my life. I want to be a holy
man just like you.” 2 Kings 2:9 (MSG) What a huge
request! Elisha wanted what Elijah
had. He wanted Elisha’s spiritual
power and gifting. He wanted to be
holy like Elijah. Elijah answered,
“That’s a hard one! But if you are watching when I’m taken from you, you’ll get
what you’ve asked for. But only if
you’re watching.” 2 Kings 2:10 (MSG) If you read the rest of this account in 2
Kings 2 you will see that Elisha got what he wanted. It wasn’t as if Elisha had just met Elijah and asked for
what he had, but they had spent hours upon hours together. Elijah had led out in ministry and Elisha
had not left his side. He had been
watching and learning. Holiness
comes to us not in some magical touch, but in day-by-day contact with the One
who is holy.
As I reflect on my time in Kenya, there is one particular
moment that I shall never forget.
The Lord used me in a new way while ministering in Kenya. I was asked on five different occasions
to stand and recite scripture.
This is something that the Lord had called me to do a few years ago after I had been
memorizing scripture for many years.
In John 13 after Jesus had washed the disciples feet He told them that
they were to wash one another’s feet.
He had set the example and now he called them to do as He had done. As I studied this passage the Lord
showed me that the Word had become flesh in the form of Jesus Christ. He, the Word had washed the disciples
feet in order to show them the full extent of His love and so the Lord called
me to wash over people with the Word as a way to follow His example. I have
done this at retreats and in my Life Bible study class on Sunday mornings. But, I had never done it in a worship
service before hundreds or thousands of people. That all changed in Kenya. Simply speaking aloud the Word of God that I have hidden in
my heart has proved to be such a powerful experience. Peter encourages believers to use whatever gift they have
received in order to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace. He
goes on to say that if anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very
words of God. (1 Peter 4:10-11) So
when I was asked to wash over the congregation with the Word I spoke God’s Word straight from my heart and the Holy Spirit did the work of applying
it to the hearts of those who heard, as a healing balm of grace.
 |
| Washing with the Word Nairobi Chapel |
The last time I had the honor of washing over the
congregation in Kenya was at Nairobi Chapel. After the service an invitation was given for anyone who
needed prayer to come forward and those on our mission team prayed for
them. As I stood at the end of one
of the aisles a young man came forward and wanted to talk with me. He said, “I want to do what you
do.” I took him aside and asked
what he meant. He said, “I love
Jesus with everything I have and I want to do what you do.” He went on to explain that he wanted to
hide God’s Word in his heart so that he could stand before others and minister
the Word like I had done. I spent
some time with him explaining how I began simply memorizing one verse a week
with the goal of application and retention. I shared my HOME acrostic that Hiding God’s Word in my heart had given me Ownership of God’s Word and had equipped me to Minister to those in need and as a result I now Experience a deeper and more intimate
relationship with Christ. I
cautioned him that it was something that takes time, self-discipline and
consistency. This ministry is
developed over time and would not happen overnight. His heart was right and his desire genuine and my prayer is
that he will be able to do what I do, so that more and more people will not
only be hearers of the Word but doers also.
This experience reminded me of Elijah and Elisha. Elisha wanted Elijah’s life repeated in
his. This young Kenyan man wanted
my life repeated in his. I was
only able to spend a few minutes with him, but I am praying that the Lord will give
him the desire of his heart. That
he will be hiding God’s Word in his heart for years to come and that God would
develop a special gift within him, equipping him to also minister the spoken
Word to others.
This experience also reminded me of God’s promise to do
amazing things among us if only we would consecrate ourselves to Him. Joshua 3:5 It started with a desire to be more
consistent in my walk with Christ.
My motivation was a desire to grow in my knowledge and love of
Christ. My goal was simply to
gather as much of the Word as I would need to be equipped to defend my faith
and overcome temptation. God has
done immeasurably more than I could have ever imagined! It still amazes me what God can do with a willing heart
filled with His Word. I pray there are many more who will say to me, “I want to
do what you do.” I will always answer with, “It may be difficult, but you can
do it!” I look forward to
repeating my life of taking the Word to heart in as many who will ask!
Keep Feasting on the Word,
Nancy
Jeremiah 15:16
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