2 Kings 2:3-5 And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.” 4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5 The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”

The poor man is simply trying to spend some time with his mentor before Elijah departs and everyone is going crazy. The talk of the town, actually every town is that Elijah is departing soon.

Everyone is coming out to meet Elisha and trying to prepare him for the inevitable. Twice he tells everyone, “Please be quiet, I know!”

There is something beautiful about what is happening and also, something important for us to see.

Notice that there is a transition about to take place, and Elisha is going to be moving into a role that Elijah once had. If you can recognize that you have been blessed and imparted into – ultimately, it isn’t for you. You will undoubtedly benefit from other’s imparting, but what is given to you, is meant to be passed on to others.

How important it is that we start giving away what we have received as early as humanly possible. Even if you feel like you haven’t received enough to be able to give anything away – trust me, you have enough to start the giving process.

I meet countless people who are not willing to impart into others until they feel they have reached this special place. It doesn’t exist. The amount of knowledge or education is by no means the signifier of readiness to impart. [Listen carefully to this next sentence.]

The heart is what matters. The heart. When your heart wants to impart to others, that is the time to do it. The problem with those who are put into positions too early isn’t about what they know or don’t know that impedes them. The problem is the place they have been given to impart. Most often because of shortages of people we place people into positions too early.

In the local church it is important for the leaders to make places where people of varying levels of maturity can impart to others. One of the absolute best places for a person to begin their journey of imparting into others is welcoming people into the house on worship day.

God uses the heart (not knowledge) as a measuring tool. The degree to which you give away what you have received, is the degree to which God will impart more into you.

This sounds like I am talking about money, but that isn’t on my mind at all. If you have had love given to you, then you ought to be giving it away to others and the Lord.

If you have been given guidance, then you ought to be giving guidance to others. Even if it is pointing to the doors of the sanctuary.

If God has given you knowledge, then in time as your heart develops, please look out to a place that the Lord is calling you to use that knowledge to help others.

Recently, I have seen our older generation who possess wisdom, knowledge and love, moving into our student ministry and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Only the Lord would make a move like that in the heart of an older saint.

It is a Holy Spirit prompted heart that says, “Perhaps I have been given something that I can now give away to a youngster.”

An impartation is an amazing amazing thing to receive and it comes in so many colors and flavors. All of it comes from the heart of God. Our Father is in a nonstop impartation mode, forever and ever. He really never stops. His nature is to eternally impart and so, when a person becomes a child of God, this same imparting heart begins to grow. That’s why God gave gifts to begin with. He knew that as people become family members, every saint would begin to do what He does – impart. Great, small, fast, slow, weird, predictable, everyone who follows Jesus imparts.

Don’t think for a moment that imparting doesn’t get weird. Jesus spit in mud and rubbed it in the eyes of a man that was blind. Have you ever got dirt in your eye? Dirt and eyes do not belong together, nor does spit in the eyes. It is a good thing this guy was blind before he was healed.   

Without the gifts there would be nothing to give. Nothing that has lasting value and eternal significance.    

If we spend our whole life waiting for the impartation, or a certain level of impartation, we will spend out life waiting.

You are like a refrigerator. The doors of your heart are meant to be opened and things taken from you and given to others. God refills you when you spend time with Him. He and others put the groceries back into you and those who need, come and take.

Sometimes food is left in the fridge too long and it sours. Sometimes, we put things in the fridge that aren’t even food and all the contents have to be thrown out and the fridge purified.

Father, as we look upon Elisha, you are moving him into a new place. Where He cries out for impartation – You were filling him with more than he ever had so he could turn and give to others. The transition was a painful one for him, but it was a power move on Your part to move the kingdom of God into alignment with Your will. You cared deeply for both Elijah and Elisha. And You had both squarely placed in your will and Your heart. Help us in our transitions to be ready for the receiving and the giving. Thank You Jesus for making all these things possible.

Blessings,

Pastor D