1 Kings 19:15-21 KJV
(15) And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria:
(16) And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
(17) And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.
(18) Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
(19) So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.
(20) And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?
(21) And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

The Prophetic call of a prophet, or any person in ministry is not the same as the call of salvation. Yet God’s salvation call is similar in regards to the minister might know that call to salvation is for you, but you have to take hold of it yourself, just as a minister/prophet must take hold of that call of God on their life themselves. God calls our need to answer it ourselves is important. Your decision to minister must be your own. Someone might call you out to minister, but your decision to is your own.

God told Elijah to anoint Elisha. Yet the call on Elisha life was not of Elijah choosing, but of divine origin. Elijah was just a minister with his own call from God. To be a servant of God is to do whatever God ask. Not to do necessarily what another minister might ask you to do, but to do God’s will in one’s own life as God directs not man.

The walking with the Spirit of God is simply obeying God’s divine direction. Elijah was told to go anoint Elisha and he did with his cloak covering him or passing the torch so to speak. Elisha knew how to plant a field, but did he know how to preach. God can send people of leadership ability to teach some ministry skills, but not what to speak. Though the message of God is the same, it not all spoken in the same language or in the same way for each group. In other words a farming community might not understand the message as well as the message to the sailors. Jonah was cast to sea because of sin, but because of being casted into the sea, the men worship Jonah’s God. The fear of the gods of the sea is the same as fear of the aliens making crop circles in the farmer field. Unless you seen a crop circle or a huge fish the fear of can only be imagined. I can only imagine be fearful of a shark but until I see a shark that is 25 feet long I can only imagine what it is to be fearful of a shark unless I realize it size a girth of such a huge fish. I can describe a whale named Moby Dick, but I can not feel that fear without seeing it. If asked how fearful is it to be struck by a train, one can only imagine until you have one barrel down right on top of you.

One can only grasp what it is like to watch a seed grow, from learning about it, but the excitement of actually watering a seed and seeing it sprout and produce is far greater. I can study how to minister but I can not study how God is going to speak or instruct my heart to minister until God actually moves in my life to speak. Anyone can prepare a speech, or tell a story, but to minister by the calling of God is not done by someone putting words in your mouth other then God. If a wife needs to write a husband sermons, then he no more a preacher, but a puppet.

Elijah could not worry about Elisha call, his only task was to anoint him as God instructed him to do. Elisha felt the call to minister to Elijah and to serve him, but he had a desire to celebrate this call on his life with his family and say good bye. He did not have to follow Elijah, he only needed to follow God’s calling on his life to sow the word of God.

Samuel heard the voice of God as a child, but upon hearing he needed someone to help him know how to respond to God, for he was only a child in need of instruction. Yet God gave that prophet child words to speak to old Eli. The blessings of the call of God is not returnable, but it is receivable. The call of God on all people is receivable but one can not follow man instruction into that field or call. One has to learn to obey God’s instruction for the call of minister, just like the calling of salvation, after repentance comes the need to follow after Jesus.

One’s call and one’s instruction might be known by others, but it is only you that can follow God’s leading for your life. God’s blessing of His call, is individualized. It is not a call of a group, but individual that might work with others, but the call is not of man. You might be lead to sing with a group, but not remain but only a short time, and the group will understand this by God’s own calling and direction to be part of a group. Elisha would know the day of Elijah call to go home to be with God, but Elisha could not prevent or aid in the journey, he could only walk with Elijah until the chariot of fire came to take him heavenward.

God’s call on your life is a blessing, because God allows you to know His business, His grace and mercy. God’s call allows you to know his judgment and truth. Yet you might not understand it all, the knowledge and understanding will. Each of us is called to share what we know, but do we do it.

Dear Heavenly Father may your grace be sufficient in your call on each of our lives, as we strive to know that bless call in our individual lives. In Jesus precious name, Amen.