[今日經文 Today’s Reading: 列王紀下 2 Kings 1-3]
9 過去之後，以利亞對以利沙說：「我未被接去離開你以前，你要我為你做甚麼，只管求。」以利沙說：「願感動你的靈雙倍感動我。」 10 以利亞說：「你求的是一件難事。我被接去離開你的時候，你若看見我，就必得着；若不然，就得不着了。」
列王紀下 2 Kings 2:9-10
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” 10 And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.”
在以利亞被神接升天之前，以利沙緊緊跟隨他的老師。 儘管以利亞告訴以利沙，以利沙不需要陪他去他要去的各個城鎮。 以利亞知道自己已接近生命的盡頭，在被上帝帶走之前，以利亞滿足了以利沙的一個願望，以利沙大膽地求：“願感動你的靈雙倍感動我。” 我們注意到，以利沙並不是為了自己的利益而這樣要求的； 相反，他的請求是出于謙卑，他承認自己的軟弱和無能，而且最重要的是他渴望事奉上帝。
許多基督徒有強烈的渴望在地上的事情上取得成功，但對屬靈的事情卻沒有那麼強烈的渴望。 我們很樂意發時間、資源和精力去參加教導我們如何變得富有的會議，但卻沒有胃口或動力去尋求屬靈成長。 以利沙向我們展示了一條不同的道路； 無論他走到哪裡，他都緊緊跟隨他的老師：吉甲、伯特利、耶利哥，至終到約旦河。 最後，以利沙急切地抓住機會，要雙倍感動以利亞的靈！
作為基督徒，我們與世界的鬥爭越來越激烈，尤其是在我們孩子靈魂的戰場上，近年來其強度增加了一倍甚至三倍。 我們比以往任何時候都更需要祈求雙倍和三倍的力量來為上帝的國而戰。
願上帝賜給我們以利沙的渴望，讓我們緊緊跟隨我們的主耶穌，祈求祂的靈降在我們身上，完成祂在世上交給我們的任務。
禱告：親愛的主，請給我們緊緊跟隨祢的渴望。 賜予我們聖靈來完成祢交給我們的任務！ 奉耶穌的名，阿們。
Before Elijah was taken by God up into heaven, Elisha traveled closely with his master. This was despite the fact that Elijah told Elisha that it was not needed for Elisha to accompany him to the various towns he would travel to. Knowing he was nearing the end of his life, Elijah granted Elisha a wish before he was taken, and Elisha boldly asked, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” We note that Elisha did not ask this for his own gain; rather, his request was made in humility, recognizing his own weakness and inabilities, and due to his desire above all to serve God.
Many Christians have a strong desire to achieve success in earthly things yet have no such strong desire regarding spiritual things. We readily allocate time, resources, and energy to attend conferences which teach us how to become rich but have little appetite or drive to seek spiritual growth. Elisha shows us a different path; he followed his master closely wherever he went: to Gilgal, to Bethel, to Jericho, and finally to the Jordan River. And at the end Elisha eagerly took hold of the opportunity to ask for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit!
The battle in our fight as believers against the world is increasingly severe, especially in the battlefield for our children’s souls, doubling and even tripling in its intensity in recent years. More than ever, we need to ask for double and triple the power to fight the battle for God’s Kingdom.
May God give us the desire of Elisha to follow our master Jesus closely, to ask that His Spirit be upon us to carry out the task he has entrusted us with here on earth.
Prayer: Dear Lord, please instill in us the desire to follow You closely. Grant us the Holy Spirit to carry out the task You have given us! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
