“A Man (Woman) of God”

In my morning devotional reading I am in 2 Kings.  In addition to the Bible reading list that we use at HOPE Church I use a “read the Bible in one year” guide for myself.  In that guide I am in 2 Kings/Luke.  As many of you know, 2 Kings is where Elijah is taken up into heaven and Elisha takes over as the prophet of God.  In chapter 2 before Elijah is taken up in the whirlwind, He asked Elisha what he would want from God and Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit.  Elijah states, that if you see me leave you, your request will be given.  And it was so, for after Elijah had departed, Elisha took up Elijah’s mantle that had fallen to the ground, struck the Jordan River, the waters parted and he walked across on dry land to the men they had left on the other side.  As they saw Elisha coming towards them they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha” and they went to him and bowed on the ground before him.

As I have continued to read 2 Kings over the past number of days I’ve noticed that the Holy Scripture has given a title to Elisha.  The first time it is used is in 2 Kings 4 as Elisha deals with the Shunammite woman in Shunem.  She wanted to make a place in their upper chamber for Elisha to live with them when he was in town.  As she is telling her husband her plan she refers to Elisha as “a holy man of God” (4:9).  Now as Elisha’s story begins to unfold this title begins to be used more and more as people reference him.  Verses 4:16, 4:21, 4:22, 4:25, 4:27, 4:40, 4:42, 5:15, 6:9, 6:10,7:2, and there are many more as you read through 2 Kings refer to Elisha as “the man of God.”  They say; “…go get the man of God,” “…here comes the man of God” over and over again.  So much so that I began to look for that title as I read each morning.  Saying: “I wonder what ‘the man of God’ is going to do today?”  

Then something happened where I was taken aback, actually it brought me to my knees spiritually.  I was teaching our adult Sunday School at HOPE and following the class a member came up to me and said, “My husband just said to me ‘Marty is truly a man of God.’”  I wanted to say, “Whoooooo!  Wait just a minute!”  But instead said, “Thank you.”  But later that day as I was reflecting on that comment, I thought I certainly desire to be a man of God.  I want to be a man of God.  This is actually who God, Himself, has called me to be.  How am I really doing?  Am I faithful in “All” things?  Have I gotten lost in my faith in Him, entirely to the point, that I process everything in life through His lens?  Is that me?  Is that who I am?

My answer is that I try to be that person, but I have a long way to go.  My desire is to be a true “man of God” in such a way that my actions and my words are always pleasing to God, my Lord and Savior!  I try hard, but fail at times.  And to be honest with you, I think when I get to heaven and sit down to talk with Elisha about this title of his, he would say that he too was humbled by it and was not always faithful to it.  The great thing is this, God still referred to him as “a man of God.”

So how can you and I become a man/woman of God? Of course, the obvious thing is first you have to give your life to Him, surrender yourself to Him as Lord and Savior.”  But having become a Christian man or woman, how do you become truly a man or woman of God?  I believe it is very simple yet very hard.  Are you ready for it?  Here it is!  You must LISTEN to Him.  You must listen to His Holy Spirit that dwells in you and follow His ways.  When we fail to do that, self, our own ways, our own thoughts begin to take over and then we become a man or a woman of this world, not of God.  You know when you have said or done something wrong.  You know when you have sinned against Him.  His Spirit tells you.  “Respond!  Repent!  Ask Him for forgiveness!  Don’t do it again!”  

He has called you and me to be men and women of God.  We are a “new creation” in Him.  We are no longer of this world, only in the world.  We are His sons and daughters.  And with His adoption we are to grow up in Him as “men and women of God.”

How are you doing?  I’ve had to examine myself, especially when that title was thrown at me.  Let us all become more and more “A Man (Woman) of God.”

Blessings my friends,

Pastor Marty - Pastor of HOPE EPC Raleigh

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