written by Jesse Kleingardner

Although I do like the chemistry that I’m doing now, I would much rather be one of those “sons of the prophets.” They met with Elisha, probably learning from him in a kind of teacher/disciple relationship. It seems exciting, being a disciple of someone who raises people from the dead! But the downside is that it doesn’t sound like a steady income kind of gig. The thought of not having the kind of security to even know where your meals are going to come from would make most people nervous, me included. Unless, of course, I’m with Elisha. He turned the poisonous stew into a real meal, and multiplied some measly loaves into a meal for a hundred men with leftovers to spare. It reminds me of what Jesus did when he fed the 5,000. And because of those miracles all those who concerned themselves with hearing the Word also received their daily bread as a bonus.

I don’t know of any miracle-working prophets to learn from, but I could most definitely make the Word of God more of a priority in my life. Maybe I’m concerned that if I did that, I wouldn’t be able to get enough work done. Maybe that’s so, maybe not. But I hear God’s promise that if I concern myself with the daily bread of God’s Word, He would take care of satisfying my stomach. His hospitality is unmatched and demonstrated here by the miracles of Elisha. He takes care of His own, so that we need not worry about any basic needs like food. If I could live out injunctions like “No Bible, no breakfast,” “No Word, no work,” “No Scripture, no slumber,” I would not only be full of God’s wisdom in my life, but God would grant me all the food, productivity and sleep I need as well. So why again is it so hard for me to prioritize reading God’s Word? This passage contains a promise of provision that I need to pay more attention to. How about you?

Your fellow traveler,
Jesse