“And as it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?’ Elisha said, ‘Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.’ So he said, ‘ You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” (2 Kings 2:9-10).
GIVE ME THIS MOUNTAIN
In Joshua 14:12-13, Caleb had courage to have asked Joshua for something impossible, and Joshua, under the leading of the Spirit granted his request. Caleb asked for the mountain of Hebron to be given to him as an inheritance. At this time, the giants dwelt on this mountain. Caleb, though old in age was able to dispossess the giants of Hebron. He carved out a niche for himself as a mountain taker! No other time is more appropriate to ask God for something that is seemly difficult than this month when we are fasting. We all have one mountain or the other ahead of us to possess. We, too, can be mountain takers!
BRING ONE SOUL AT LEAST TO CHRIST
Think of the mountains or the seemingly difficult situations that are before you; take time to write them down. Then, add to your list the Operation Reap goal for each member. He’s Alive Chapel to win at least one soul to the Church this year. Winning at least one soul to Christ in a year may seem an impossible task for some of us, but it is the least thing before God. The irony is that many of us have enough faith to believe God for our personal needs, but hardly have the same faith to win a soul for Jesus.
What could have happened if Caleb did not ask the Lord to give him the mountain of Hebron, where the giants dwelt? Perhaps, the giants would have continued to inhabit the mountains of Hebron. But he asked for a difficult thing and he received it. So, let us believe that when we ask from God for a hard thing he would grant it to us.
ELISHA ASKED FOR A HARD THING
Recall that Elisha asked for a difficult thing from Elijah. He asked for a double portion of the anointing that was on Elijah. Elijah did not deny him the request but simply said, ” You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.”(2 Kings 2: 9-11). This means that, it is possible to receive a hard thing or a seemingly impossible thing from God.
PAUL ASKED FOR A HARD THING
In Acts 27, Paul asked for a difficult thing from God. He asked God for the safety of his fellow inmates in the wind-tossed ship. Once when he was on his way to Rome, the ship he was travelling in ran into a storm. So rough was the voyage that all hope of their survival was lost. Paul fasted and prayed for 14 days for the souls of his inmates; and God granted his request. An angel appeared to him and assured him that none of the souls with him in the ship would perish. Thus, due to his prayer and fasting, 276 souls were saved from perishing. “Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up. But after a long abstinence, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me” (Acts 27:20-25).
YOU, TOO, CAN ASK GOD FOR A HARD THING
As we conclude our thirty days fast, how appropriate it would be to ask the Lord for a hard thing. Be assured that God is willing to grant your petitions as long as they are in his will. The God whom we serve, is by far greater and bigger than any petitions we shall make to him. The words impossible, difficult or hard exists only in our mind, but not with God. What seems difficult to us is nothing before God. Recall that Jesus said in Mark.9:23, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” The Holy Spirit who made Mary to conceive Jesus is able to bring to pass anything we ask of him, (Luke.1:37). He said to Jeremiah, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh, Is there anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah.32:27).
