What are you going to do? Let your mind go to the Word of God to see what others have done. When I need a solution to a problem, my mind holds to the Scriptures. What did others do? How did they do it? What happened to them? How did they reach God? All the deeds of the people you read about in the Bible were put there for a purpose. Something is to be learned from everyone in the Bible, from those who failed God and those who found His greatest favor.

Elisha Learned Trust from Elijah

Elisha knew what he was going to do; he knew he was going to trust God. From his great teacher, Elijah, he had learned how to trust Him. Until Elijah came along, there hadn’t been a prophet in the land of Israel for many, many years. He was a force to be reckoned with, a force King Ahab wished he had never met.

Ahab, ungodly, full of the devil, was married to Jezebel, a woman every bit as evil as he was, if not more so. There was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up (I Kings 21:25).

Elijah didn’t compromise in telling Ahab what God said was in store because of his wicked ways: Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee; because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord. And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat (I Kings 21:19,20,23,24). Although these words caused Ahab to repent momentarily, it wasn’t enough to keep that prophecy from taking place.

While he was alive, Ahab always remembered how Elijah had cut off 450 heads of the prophets of Baal: And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there (I Kings 18:40). In just one “service” it happened—and then Elijah ran for the wilderness. He had heard that Jezebel was coming, and his feet told him what to do. Had you seen that much blood, you probably would have run, too.

If your mind is not in faith-operation your feet will tell you to run from troubles and trials. Unfortunately, one can’t outrun trouble. If so, I would be teaching running classes. Face trouble head-on. Brace yourself, rooted and grounded in the Lord and the love of God. Be firmly established in His love, and with that much love, you will have no trouble with your faith. You have the true foundation; knowing the love of God and His faith never fail, you dig into that foundation, into the deepness of the Lord.

Don’t examine your faith; examine your love. If you have plenty of love—God’s love—on the inside, faith will be there, too. You can’t separate God’s love from God’s faith; they go together in the greatness and might of God. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love (Galatians 5:6).

A Chariot of Fire Took Elijah to Heaven

Elisha watched Elijah out of sight, taken up into heaven in a chariot of fire. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven (II Kings 2:11).

Before Elijah was taken up, he told 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. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so (II Kings 2:9,10). Now what are you going to do, Elisha? You asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. Are you going to believe or doubt? Elijah displayed through his life the wonderful personality of God, so much so that Elisha wanted a double portion—and got it.

Some people in Elisha’s position would be in despair at once thinking they didn’t have the double portion because Elijah didn’t touch them or lay a hand on them. Elisha, you didn’t get that double portion. You know you don’t feel it. Elijah didn’t touch you, it all happened too quickly. Now he’s gone and it’s too late. But Elisha saw something in the air floating down, down. Elijah hadn’t forgotten Elisha; he threw out his mantle before he disappeared from sight. The mantle of power came straight from Heaven, and Elisha waited eagerly for it, both arms outstretched. When you expect God’s blessings, the whole you must reach. Elisha reached with all his being, and he got the mantle.

Now what are you going to do, Elisha? He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over (II Kings 2:13,14). Elisha had seen the waters part when Elijah struck the waters of Jordan with the mantle. The mantle worked for Elijah, and if Elisha had the double portion, it would work for him, too. He ran down to the river Jordan and struck the waters. Where is the Lord God of Elijah? That question rang through the air as the waters separated to the left and to the right. Elisha must have shouted praises to God all the way across Jordan. He had the mantle of power and he didn’t doubt. That double portion was his.

If you receive a miracle from the Lord, try it out. Don’t say you can’t; say He can. A miracle will stand the test. If you ask God for something, don’t doubt when the answer comes. God may not work it the way you planned. He is divinity, and He works only with miracle hands. We are just human and we can’t decide for ourselves the way God will do things.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8,9). God is not a man and He doesn’t work like a man. Never let the way God moves make you doubt, no matter what happens.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us (Romans 8:37). If you are on the Lord’s side, you are on the winning side. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith (I John 5:4). Your faith in Jesus Christ is your victory. Measure your victories through Jesus Christ and you will be all right.

An Army Came for Elisha

Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. And the man of God [Elisha] sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel? And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber (II Kings 6:8-12). The king of Syria sent a whole army after one man.

Elisha Saw with Spiritual Sight

And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do (II Kings 6:15)? Surrounded by that army, Elisha’s servant, using physical eyesight, was terrified. Not Elisha. Elisha saw with spiritual eyesight and used the sixth spiritual sense of faith.

There are six spiritual senses and only five physical ones. Use the spiritual senses.

Elisha could see what his servant could not, and Elisha told him, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha (II Kings 6:16,17).

There must have been at least one angel in every chariot, maybe more. No matter how many demons come your way, the angels of the Lord outnumber them. More angels exist than devils; angels are with us. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them (Psalm 34:7).

Before Elisha’s servant saw with the spiritual eyesight, he saw only himself, Elisha and the army that had come against them. Physical eyesight put him into a state of anxiety. When we get to the place we can ask God to open eyes so people can see His glory, He will do it. How wonderful for the Bride to be crying, Lord, open their eyes and let them see!

Open the Eyes of These Men

What was Elisha’s defense against the Syrian army? God. Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria. And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha said, Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see. And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and, behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. And the king of Israel said unto Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite them? shall I smite them? And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master. And he prepared great provision for them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel (II Kings 6:18-23).

Israel fed their enemies. Didn’t Jesus tell us to treat even our enemies well? But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you (Matthew 5:44). Even before Jesus, doing good to the enemy was put into practice, and in this case, it ended a war. Elisha gained more respect than ever.

The Lord Fought for Israel

What are you going to do? That has been the question down through these thousands of years. Moses, what are we going to do? Pharaoh’s army is right behind us! We’ll all be killed! We’re hemmed in by the sea! What are we going to do? They were going to do what God told them.

And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace (Exodus 14:13,14). Always remember the answer is to do whatever God says, whatever is in the Word.

Complete Obedience

In Cana, the mother of Jesus helped Him perform the first miracle. She told the servants of the wedding household, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it (John 2:5). That’s the secret, the formula: Doing whatever the Lord says. He won’t tell us to do anything big because He doesn’t need us for the big things; He takes care of the big things. He knows the little things are all we can perform. We do something little; He does something big. We do something foolish; He does something wise. It’s been that way down through the years.

Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord! Get rid of the fear closing in on you, about to stifle your very breath. Get rid of the fear and behold the hand of the Lord.

You say the waters haven’t separated for you? Your toes haven’t touched the water yet. Get your toes next to the water and prepare to take your next step. Maybe you have your toes to the edge of fear and not to the miracle power of God. Step up to His miracle power; it’s the only kind of power the Lord works with.

God has no trouble working with nature. He just tells it what to do and it has sense enough to do it. Humans are not like that; they have free choice. The waters do not. God can move the waters for you at any time.

Sicknesses and diseases have no choice, either, when it comes to the power of God. He can move them out of your body with no effort on His part. Jesus proved it when He spoke and the sick spirits had to go; the blind spirits, the deaf and dumb spirits were cast out.

If the Lord is in the driver’s seat of your life, you have Jesus, and you turn your problems over to Him. Get ready for the waters to separate for you. Come over to where the feast of the Lord is going on and dine.

Wash in Jordan

What are you going to do, Naaman? What are you going to do about your leprosy? Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel (II Kings 5:1-15).

When Naaman was told to dip in Jordan seven times, he could hardly have been more offended. Self was rampaging; ego had its heart set on doing big things, bringing honor upon itself. Naaman was insulted at the idea of dipping in the muddy Jordan when there were other rivers cleaner. Naaman thought Elisha would come out, strike the place and he would be healed; but Elisha “struck the place” without coming out. It was a strike from God, not man. Naaman had to learn who Jehovah God really was. Naaman humbled down, dipped seven times in the Jordan, and he got the results he sought. Had he dipped only six times, the miracle wouldn’t have happened, but the seventh time it took place. When you do what God tells you to do, God will move.

Naaman felt there were other ways to be healed than the way the man of God said, but he was wrong. Many people can think of ways to receive salvation other than the new and living way through the blood of Jesus Christ, the way of the Old Rugged Cross. The only way to be born again is through the blood of Jesus. The only way for Naaman to be healed was by humbling himself and being obedient. Naaman listened to the wise words of his servants, obeyed the words of Elisha, and the miracle was his.

Be completely obedient to the Word of God; if you aren’t, you will always have a question in your mind about what could have been. Had I obeyed God, had I done what the man of God told me to do would I have gotten my miracle? It looked too simple. It looked simple because God is the healer. I’m just His witness. His gifts operate through the power of the Holy Ghost. I can’t operate those gifts, the Holy Spirit operates them and I verify them.

The Waters Were Healed

In Elisha’s day, the ground was barren all around, and the waters bitter in Jericho. And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is nought, and the ground barren. And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake (II Kings 2:19-22). Today the spring is still gushing forth good water, no matter how dry the weather is. That’s what a little faith-salt did. If Elisha’s salt would preserve water all these years in a small spring, you must know that God’s faith-salt will work for you.

I’ve been to Elisha’s spring in Jericho a number of times. I like to look around at the ruins; my imagination runs back to Joshua’s time, and in my mind’s eye I see people shut behind the walls of Jericho thinking they are secure. The Israelites had nothing to tear down the walls with, only rams’ horns and people marching around the wall with their mouths shut following the priests carrying the Ark of God. The Lord had put them into a bondage of silence to bring them into faith, and the power of the Lord brought the walls down flat. Sometimes the Lord has to put us into severe bondage to bring us into faith, put us into a close place so He can rescue us and show us it’s done by His mighty power.

Dig a Ditch

The enemy Moabites had the armies of God surrounded; and the kings of Israel, Edom, and Judah wanted Elisha to meet with them. And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee. But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him. And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches. For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts. And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand (II Kings 3:14-18). Simple instructions: make the valley full of ditches. They could dig a ditch. Some of us need to get busy and dig some ditches of love. You can rescue people many times just by going to the extra effort of digging a ditch of love.

The Israelites dug the ditches. Now what was God going to do? He filled them with water. How could water conquer their enemies?

And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood: And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil. And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country (II Kings 3:22-24).

Let the fear be upon the devil’s crowd. The Bible says that there is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love (I John 4:18). When you begin to feel any fear, turn on that faucet of love through the Holy Spirit, and He will gush love from your soul into your mind. Don’t pray to be delivered from fear; pray for more divine love. Give your fear over to the Holy Spirit; know that Jesus’ love is in your heart, and let the Holy Spirit flush your mind.

A widow woman was in debt, her sons about to be sold into slavery to pay that debt. But she listened to what the man of God told her, and it worked. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest (II Kings 4:2-7). She didn’t know what would happen or why the man of God told her to borrow the vessels, but she followed simple instructions. Humbling herself, she asked her neighbors for their vessels. Some may have thought she was unbalanced, that her burdens had caused her mind to snap. The world will not think highly of you for using God’s faith. The widow woman followed Elisha’s instructions step by step. She was being made ready to pour out miracle oil. Starting with one pot of oil, she found it was all she needed. One never-ending filling of the oil of the Holy Spirit dwelling within is all we need, too.

Closing the door, shutting everyone out, in faith believing the widow woman started pouring. She had faith in the words of the man of God, not in the pot of oil. Finally all the many vessels were filled. Now the devil was saying, You can’t live on oil. Your whole house is filled with it. You’ve been made a fool of. The man of God deceived you! But the woman went back to Elisha. “Go sell the oil,” he said; “pay your debtors.” It was simple.

What are you going to do? Simple things. Faith can do a quick work. It didn’t take the Lord long to create the earth; He just spoke it into existence, hung it upon nothing.

Some people take one little step of faith and turn back. No, go on step by step until you have done everything required. Let the Holy Spirit guide you, prepare you.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). Faith cometh by the Word, not by worldly talk. Listen to God-talk; fill up with it. It’s the Word you need.

Wild Gourds

And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets. And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not. So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof. But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot (II Kings 4:38-41). Wild gourds are found today among God’s people. Even while God is blessing His children, someone can come in with a lap of wild gourds, fanaticism, and not a bit of the Spirit of God. Would you throw the whole pot away? Look for the bag of meal, the Word of God to kill out all fanaticism. Rejoice in the Lord; praise Him. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord.

Brought to Life by a Dead Man’s Bones

The Bible records more miracles through Elisha than through Elijah. Fantastic miracle after fantastic miracle took place when he prayed. He had so much of the double portion in his life that after he was dead the power of God lingering in his bones resurrected a dead man. And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet (II Kings 13:21). The burial party didn’t mean to disturb Elisha’s sepulchre, but on seeing the enemy coming, they just pitched a dead soldier into Elisha’s tomb. When his body struck those dead bones of Elisha still filled with the life of God, the dead man came to life. If such an experience wouldn’t scare you to death, it should help your faith. When God is moving, never let fear take you over.

See God’s Mighty Hand Moving for You

What are you going to do with your problem? Do you want to be rid of it? Step by step as God moves, walk into His greatness. Accept the way God uses you; don’t determine in your mind how He should move. Go His way whatever it is. Have complete confidence in Him. I have seen Him move for people thousands and thousands of times. I am more shocked when God doesn’t move than when He does.

What are you going to do with your case? Pray that the Lord will open your eyes to see His mighty hands moving for you, to see those healing nail-riven hands coming your way. Many saw those miracle hands when Jesus walked the shores of Galilee and the streets of Jerusalem, and many were delivered. Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people (Matthew 4:23).

Jesus is saying to you today, I am the Lord that healeth thee. I am the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever (Hebrews 13:8). He tells us through the Word of God: They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover (Mark 16:18). To lay hands on the sick is a simple act. A human hand in divine faith laid on you, and God will get you well. Faith in God heals the sick.

If you are unsaved, what are you going to do about it? I offer you Calvary, the remedy for sin, your passport to Heaven: Jesus Christ. Do you want to go to Heaven? If you don’t have Jesus in your heart, pray this prayer with me: Oh, God, save my soul! I’m so sorry I sinned against you, but I have come home, and I will serve you, Lord, the rest of my life. I believe the blood of Jesus washes away all my sins! Come into my heart, Jesus! Come on in!

If you believed that prayer, now you can say, Hallelujah! Jesus has come! Jesus is mine!

You who need a miracle or healing—perhaps you have a child deformed, born with only part of a brain—the Lord has healing. Again and again the Lord gives miracles of re-creation. Perhaps you have suffered a stroke. Many stroke victims have been healed through this Jesus ministry. If you are ill, you can have your healing when you reach out in all faith believing. Heart trouble, cancer, no matter what it is, you can be healed.

Oh, Lord, I bring the sick and afflicted to you. Lay a healing hand on them. In the name of Jesus, I curse their diseases! I command that little brain to be re-created, that little body to come to normal. I command that father’s heart to be re-created, that mother to be healed of cancer, of diabetes! I command the people to be healed today of all manner of sicknesses and diseases! Heal! Heal! in the all-powerful name of Jesus!

The Lord is moving. His power has gone into many bodies. If you felt the presence of the Lord, that’s your sign that He is moving. What are you going to do? Watch yourself or your loved one get well and praise His holy name.

Write and tell me what the Lord has done for you. God bless you is my prayer.