The Birth Place of Dreams

(Hebrews 12:1) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

For when you wonder if your life counts...

“ Give your best wherever God puts you because God is watching.”

God see greatness in you that you don't see in yourself. 

Wherever you are...

Give your best in obscurity and God will

 reward it.

Elisha was just a farmer; however,  Elisha performed more miracles than anyone else in the Bible except Jesus.

(1 Kings 19:19 NLT) So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field. There were twelve teams of oxen in the field, and Elisha was plowing with the twelfth team. Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away.

Elisha burned the bridges behind him by sacrificing his team of oxen.

1 Kings 19:20-21 

20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”

“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

God first tests us in the details. Elisha worked for years in obscurity for Elijah as his servant. 

(Matthew 6:4) Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Give your best in small things and God will give you bigger things to do.

(Luke 16:10) “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.”

Little things matter. 

Give your best in the  natural and God will do the supernatural.

Don't get trapped in the natural that you don't ask God for the supernatural. 

(2 Kings 2:9-10) When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.

Ask God for great things.

“You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

(John 14:12-14) Whoever believes in me (Jesus) will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father... You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Elisha’s Words of Encouragement

1. “Learn how to cultivate the presence of God in your life.”

Dreams are birthed in God's presence. 

(2 Kings 3:15) “But now bring me a harpist.” While the harpist was playing, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha.

(Acts 4:13) When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

2.“At some point, you have to wake up and do something."

(2 Kings 3:16) And he said, “This is what the LORD says: Make this valley full of ditches.”

Start preparing. 

  

(James 2:17) Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Dreams must go from inspiration to participation. 

3.“Don’t base your life on the seen, but the unseen."

(2 Kings 3:17-18) For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD; he will also hand Moab over to you.

(2 Corinthians 4:18) So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Don't give up!  We walk by faith and not by sight. 

Chris Hodges, Church of the Highlands

https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/elisha

All scripture is from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.