Last Thursday morning, I found myself sitting in a chapel at Word of Life Inn, Schroon Lake, NY. I was at a regional student convention, helping as a judge for various student competitions going on. We had a morning devotional and it was Pastor Dave Sangster speaking on the topic of “Let It Burn.”
Pastor Dave was phenomenal and the message was impactful. It made me start to think. I wanted to apply the changes to my life and I hope it has the same effect on you. I will be paraphrasing his devotional and adding some of my own thoughts. I hope you enjoy!
Reading in 1 Kings 19, we see Elijah being told by God to go and anoint Elisha to succeed him as prophet. Elisha was an ordinary man and Elijah found him out plowing his fields with oxen.
Understand, that before Elijah called Elisha to follow him and succeed him as prophet, these oxen and the lands he was plowing were all Elisha owned and how he supported himself.
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.’… 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.
1 Kings 19:19-21
In this passage we see what Elisha did that solidified his commitment to working in the ministry. He took all he had, and all he had ever known – working his fields with his oxen and equipment – and destroyed it all. He killed his oxen, and burned his equipment to cook the meat on.
Some people might call this a bit extreme; Elisha couldn’t turn back now even if he wanted to. This is the point I want to make and why this blog is titled “Let It Burn”. God wants the same level of commitment that Elisha showed to be evident in us.
When we feel the call on our lives from God, and we find what our ministry is, he wants to burn up whatever our plan was for our life. It doesn’t matter how far we have moved up or how much we have achieved.
Another godly example is the author of this blog, Pastor Nick Zaccardi. He was in a great position with a great company making a good amount of money. However, when God called him out of it and placed him in a ministry in a different state, he left without hesitation and “let burn” the taste of success he already had achieved.
Be encouraged today to spend time with God, and find out what plans He has in store for you. And when those plans are revealed, be prepared to give up everything you know now to walk in His perfect will.
Question: How much are you willing to “let burn” for God’s calling upon your life?
The Spirit and the Word 