2 Kings 4:40
The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, "O man of God, there is death in the pot!" And they could not eat it.
iShock to iSad. Steve Jobs, the creative genius behind my kids well-loved iPad and Pixar died yesterday. It felt like he’s a family member. Unbelievable how he bridged the gap between my parents tech-scare and their apos fearless curiosity by providing them touchscreen Apps to bond with. Such a sight! I’m sure you too have priceless memories to share. Makes us wonder if anyone could ever fill his shoes and bring us a step higher. But Jobs said it himself, ‘Death is life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.’ He knew then his time will soon be up, and right now the new is us. He hoped we will have the courage to follow our heart and intuition, and to live each day as if it was our last.
Elisha had big shoes to fill too. His mentor called fire from heaven and was a big hit in the land. The company of prophets may have doubted his ability. But he did not His God’s. All the way back from Jordan to Bethel and now Gilgal, the same road he and Elijah took before the latter’s rapture, God poured His miracles through him. In today’s reading, we find him in the company of prophets, possibly echoing all that Elijah taught him. Quite expected for prophets, except it was done during famine. They continued in faithfulness even in hard times. But he was mindful of their physical state and so he asked someone to cook some stew for these men. Another went out and found wild vines which in his heart and intuition could add up well to their meal. Without inquiry whatsoever, he tossed it to the pot and served the poisoned cups. His sincerity did not help at all. If not for God’s presence in Elisha, that day could have been their last.
When we read of successful people like Jobs, we usually take their statements in a sweep and use it as formula words to live by. In his commencement speech in Standford, he said: ‘You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.’ But the Bible is clear that we have to trust Someone, not some things. God will never let us down, and the difference He can make even extends to the afterlife. Faith alone cannot save. It has always been faith IN GOD. Sure, let’s pay high respect to great men for their excellence. But just be careful we don’t make them our standard for practice. We don’t just pick a gourd and cook it. Or take an apple in the middle of the garden. Both might look appealing, but don't be deceived. There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. Take heed.
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