As we round the corner toward the home stretch of our study, I applaud your commitment and hard work in seeking the heart of God through intense study of His Word! What a joy it has been to learn more about the character of God and to explore applicable truths together from the lives of Elijah and Elisha!

This week, our focus will be on the mentoring relationship between Elijah and Elisha. The most important aspect of Elijah’s role as mentor is that of being an example to Elisha, and to us.

So far, we have learned from his example of being faithful in prayer and trusting God through tumultuous challenges. We then learned that we must be mindful of making wise daily choices in how we invest our thoughts, time, energy, and resources. In week 3, we learned from Elijah about the importance of soul care in order to have the stamina to stay the course in our faith walk. And, finally, we observed Elijah’s example of surrender to God’s call on his life and that we too must accept God’s assignment for our own lives. This involves saying no to some things in order to say yes to God’s best.

Let’s take a look at our daily lessons from this week and see what we glean from them.

Day One: Is There No God?

As our lesson unfolds, we observe that the same rebellious pattern set by Ahab and Jezebel continues into the next generation. King Ahab’s son, Ahaziah, the newest King of Israel, had been injured in an accident, and he sent messengers to consult their god, Baal-zebub. He had jumped on the same rebellious band wagon of his parents! After all that Elijah had been through with Ahab, he wasn’t about to let this one go by without boldly standing up to him. Elijah asks the messengers, “What? Is there no God in Israel?” In other words, “Are you out of your mind seeking a counterfeit god after the one and only true living God has proven Himself to you?”

What I take from this is the power of confidence in our relationship with God instead of turning to silly idols. Do we really believe God is who He says He is? That He will do what He says He will do? That He is always good, even when we don’t understand His ways? The more we saturate our hearts and minds with His Word, and the more we pray, serve, trust, and obey, the more confident we will be in our faith. This is how we can develop the kind of boldness that Elijah demonstrated. This will also increase the likelihood that we will seek God first in every situation rather than relying on counterfeits.

Our behavior reveals what we truly believe.

One of the clearest indicators of where our faith in truly rooted is what we do when change or difficulty strikes. Where do we turn first when the bottom falls out of our lives?

Who we really are comes out when we are squeezed.

One way we can surely increase in boldness and spiritual stamina in difficult times is to intentionally keep our eyes on Christ, the initiator and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). When we build intimacy with God in the mundane of life, we will more likely call on Him first when our trials come.

Participating in Bible studies, developing a more disciplined prayer life, strengthening relationships with my church family, reading God’s Word, and listening to sermons all help me to grow deeper roots. At the same time, too much television, excess food or drink or worldly influences, and isolation from Christian community can cause me to drift spiritually. The stakes are high because our actions have consequences.

 Day Two: Bolder with Time

Today we observed Elijah’s bolder side that seems to have increased over time. After Elijah had confronted the king’s messengers for seeking a false god, the drama begins to build in intensity. The king sent companies of 50 men to escort Elijah back to him, but Elijah boldly called down fire from heaven to consume them all. He did it a second time too.

On the third time, Elijah decided to go back with the company of men and boldly confront the king himself. He had no jelly-fish tendencies in him at all! With firm authority, he boldly proclaimed that the king would never be well enough to leave his bed, but that he would surely die. And, that is exactly what happened!

When God directs us, we can also be bold as lions, just like Elijah!

Remember, having boldness does not mean that we are loud and obnoxious… It means:

• To trust, trust in;
• To have confidence, be confident;
• To be bold; and
• To be secure.

Being bold, then, is trusting in God.

Seek God. Know God. Understand the character of God. Believe God. Trust God. Have your identity rooted in Him. Faithfully turn to God and avoid counterfeits. You will then see your level of boldness and confidence build over time, and you will increase in spiritual stamina.

Day Three: I Will Never Leave You

“Make new friends, but keep the old ones. One is silver, and the other’s gold.” This was a song we used to sing in Girl Scouts when I was growing up. What a treasure each new friend is in our lives, but let us never undervalue the friendships we already have!

What a blessing today’s study was as we contemplated loyalty in relationships. God intends for us to dwell together in community as the body of Christ, not to isolate ourselves. While God often uses seasons of solitude in our lives, ultimately, God’s purpose is served through relationships.

Elisha’s loyalty was tested several times toward the end of Elijah’s life. As they traveled from Gilgal to Bethel and then to Jericho, Elijah told Elisha to stay put as he traveled to the next town. Each time, however, Elisha gave the same response: “As surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.”

We see here that the two had a deeply committed relationship, not just a casual acquaintance. It takes time to develop this kind of closeness and trust in a relationship. This gives me reason to pause and think about my own relationships. God has put some amazing heart sisters in my life through various seasons, but I wish I had been more intentional about cultivating these relationships and developing that same kind of loyal bond we observe in Elijah and Elisha.

Having a mentor or being a mentor is truly a treasure to be thankful for, and it is certainly worth developing deeper bonds of loyalty and trust. As Melissa asked, “Is there someone for whom you could begin ‘showing up’ in order to form a deeper relationship?” I wrote some names down, and I intend being more intentional about developing a closer connection with these women of God.

We show up even when we don’t feel like it because we are committed.

Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. Proverbs 3:3-4 NLT

An additional example to us of undying loyalty and loving commitment is Ruth’s decision to stay with Naomi as she returned to her homeland in Judah. She would have been right to go back to her own people, but in love, she was determined to stay by her mother-in-law’s side no matter what.

I recall a wonderful friend, Jimmy, who was that kind of friend to my husband and me over the years before he passed. He would sometimes surprise us by cutting our grass before we got home. Or, he would bring us a freezer full of meat that he had hunted and processed himself to provide for us over the winter. He was constantly serving at the church or repairing things in our home. He just wanted to do everything he could to help us because we were his pastors. I had never known that kind of loyalty in real life, only in stories. He was a true example of the kind of friend I want to be to others.

But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.  Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” Ruth 1:16-17 NLT

Thank God for the people in your life, and pray for anyone you know who is experiencing difficulty today. Ask God to give you the right words to tell them that you are coming alongside them in love and prayer.

 Day Four: Chariots of Fire

I just loved today’s portion of the story so much! Elisha’s zeal for being filled with a double portion of the Spirit that was upon Elijah is truly to be admired! While that was no small request, I believe God was pleased with his request. Elisha didn’t ask for anything self-promoting or indulgent, but he had a desire for something far greater.

This reminds me of Solomon’s request when God asked him for anything he wanted. Instead of asking for great riches, fame, or power, he asked for wisdom to lead God’s people well. God was so pleased that he not only fulfilled his request, but He also gave him riches, fame, and power.

Additionally, we considered priorities and depth in our prayer life by observing Paul’s prayers for the Ephesians. While they were suffering persecution, Paul didn’t pray for their ease or comfort, but he prayed for greater things, such as growing in the knowledge of God, to understand His love more fully, for spiritual wisdom and insight, confident hope, and greater understanding of God’s mighty power.

This realization caused me to pause and consider the tone of my own prayers Again, it is not wrong to ask for help and relief from life’s aches, but our primary concern should be for our spiritual well-being.

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us who believe in Him! In light of this, let’s move away from wimpy prayers and begin to ask boldly, as we are led by the Holy Spirit, for our mighty God to do mighty things!

As we return to Elijah’s and Elisha’s story, Elijah had promised that if Elisha saw him ascend into heaven, he would certainly receive the double portion that he requested. How exciting it must have been when Elijah was caught up in a whirlwind and was carried away with a chariot and horses of fire, but even more excited that Elisha witnessed the whole thing!

Day Five: The Power of Pressure

When we think of peer pressure, we typically feel that this is isolated to teenagers succumbing to pressure to drink, smoke, steal, or go too far with a boyfriend or girlfriend. However, pressure to act or not act in accordance to our convictions can be just as powerful for us as adults too. We may not experience the same temptations, but we can easily follow the crowd in things like clothing fashion, hair styles, parenting trends, homes, vehicles, social media, politics, or worship styles.

Even in the church, we can feel judged for our personal choices and begin to second guess ourselves or hold back from what we believe God wants us to do. For example, when I homseschooled my children for a number of years, there were some who disagreed with my choice, and I struggled with feeling like I had to defend myself or strive for their approval.

Who hasn’t felt the sting of disapproval from the modern-day Pharisees? They can heap piles of shame on a person for things that are not forbidden in God’s Word, for example, drinking coffee in the sanctuary or wearing jeans to church.  Ultimately, it boils down to our fleshy need to avoid shame.

In the beginning of Elisha’s ministry, immediately after Elijah was taken up into heaven, Elisha gave in to pressure from the group of prophets who urged him to organize a search party to look for Elijah’s body. Elisha knew that it was futile because God had taken Elijah directly; however, they shamed him into agreeing with them. Of course, they never found anything, but Elisha had not developed the boldness yet to stand against the peer pressure.

Shame can bully us into making decisions contrary to what we know is right. Nothing can rob us of spiritual stamina like shame.

Whether or not something is a sin issue, we can be pressured into using our time, talents, or treasures in unnecessary ways.

We all have an inner battle with shame… Whether real or perceived, shame threatens all of us from time to time. Often this battle rages first in our minds through our perceptions, judgments, and personal filters. Yet we an learn to become a shame-lifter rather than a shame-giver or shame-receiver, following the example of Jesus… Jesus disregarded shame.

How can we do this? By keeping our eyes on Jesus! (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Discussion Questions

ICE BREAKER: Since we have studied about one of the greatest examples of a mentoring relationship in the Bible this week, let’s talk about our own mentors. Who was someone you looked up to as a role model or a mentor in your teen years? Was it a teacher? Coach? Minister? A neighbor or family member? What made him/her a good role model?

QUESTION 1: What are some things people turn to instead of God for help when something bad happens in their lives? (page 58) What would it mean for Jesus to be Lord of everything in your life, and what does this have to do with surrender?

QUESTION 2: Read 2 Kings 1:9-15. As you consider all we have learned about Elijah so far in our study, what do you think might have contributed to the boldness we see in him in these verses? What are some practical steps you might take to live more boldly for God” (page 165)?

QUESTION 3: Just because something is true does not mean we are obligated to say it. What are some things others have said to you when you were hurting that may have been true but were not helpful? (page 171)

QUESTION 4: What changes would you like to see in your personal prayer life? What is one small step you can implement today to begin working toward that goal? (page 177)

QUESTION 5: The prophets pressured Elisha until he felt ashamed. In what ways have you encountered or witnessed the pressure of others during the past year? (page 180) How can we disregard shame?

Assignments for the Week

1. Click here to register, purchase the book, join our Facebook group, and subscribe to the blog to receive future updates.
2. Read 2 Chronicles 21:1-11; Malachi 4:5-7; Matthew 16:13-17; Mark 8:27-30; Luke 9:18-20; Matthew 17:1-13; Romans 11:1-6, 13-24, 33-36
3. Read 2 Kings 18-25 (optional, reading through 1 and 2 Kings)
4. Study Week 6, pp. 187 – 214 
5. Memorize Psalm 78:4

We will not hide these truths from our children;
    we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
    about his power and his mighty wonders.

6. Participate in a small group in our Heart to Heart Women’s Bible Study Facebook page. This week we will go over what we learned from Week 4.

I hope to see you in a small group this week. Have a blessed week!