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Dear Reader,
It has been a month since I last wrote. There has been a lot of different things going on taking up a lot of my time. Needless to say, here I am taking some time to write and share. I have had something in my heart for some time and it's been a bit of a journey.
This journey has caused me to self-reflect and ask myself the same question I am about to impose on you.
WHAT DID YOU PICK UP?
How did I come up with such a forthright question? Well, that is what I am going to get into. So let us dive right in...
"He picked up the mantle of Elijah that fell off him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he too had struck the waters, they divided this way and that, and Elisha crossed over."
Here we see that Elijah drops his mantle (coat) and Elisha PICKED IT UP. Not only did he pick it up, but he used it, he wore it (I'm adding my own thought here), and he claimed it as his own. For so long I was sitting on how Elijah never gave Elisha the mantle.
Here is where I started to begin my self-reflection and ask myself "What did I pick up?". In my journey, meaning my life, I have picked up a lot of things that I'm not proud of. I picked up such things: pride, labels, false identity, and a slew of other things that had it not been for Jesus, I would not be here writing this blog.
Now after an amazing day in December of 2017, I picked up something that changed my whole life...
Digging deeper into this story I discovered something, something amazing. Let's go back a book to
"So Elijah departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. Elijah went over to him and threw his mantle (coat) on him."
Did you catch it? Just like that hidden in plain sight, Elijah gave Elisha his mantle.
Now I pose this question to you:
WHAT DID YOU PICK UP?
What was it that was given to you that you have claimed to be your truth? What habit do you have that you think you can't stop or let go of? What false identity are you living in?
In this referenced story Elijah asks Elisha what can he give to him before being taken up to heaven. Elisha's reply was he wanted a double portion of what Elijah had.
Let me encourage you right now! God has placed something on you that is great. You have a purpose placed on you that is always under attack by the enemy. Allow God to give you a double portion. Allow God to show you, who you are in Him. Allow Him to show you how he sees you.
PICK UP YOUR PURPOSE!
Osbert Maldonado
