February 26 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

Elijah's name is his mission: "My God is the LORD." Elijah teaches us the meaning of repentance by the removal of idolatry. Unless we obey the Word, God's blessings don't descend. Instead, the land will experience a terrible drought.

Bible Reading:

2 Kings 2:9–12

Bible Text:

Suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared ... and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11).

Devotional:

A familiar African-American spiritual tells about the vehicle that took Elijah from this world to the next:

I looked over Jordan, and what did I see,
   coming for to carry me home?
A band of angels coming after me,
   coming for to carry me home.
Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home.

It was not really a sweet chariot—it was a chariot of fire. But the longing for heaven among those who did not have much on earth, made it seem so. Any form of transportation may be called sweet if it takes us to God, God's heaven, and God's children. It has to be a sweet chariot if it's "coming for to carry me home."

Why was Elijah taken to heaven to meet "him who rides the ancient skies above" (Ps. 68:33) in the manner he was? Why was he swept up in a whirl of fire and wind, steeds and storm? Why didn't he have a normal funeral—a mournful procession to the stillness of the grave?

Because Elijah was not a normal man. Elijah was fiery, aglow with the zeal of the LORD. When he fought his one-man battle against the religion of Baal, people saw in him the fires of God's judgment. That's why God took him as he did.

Elijah left in wind, fire, and earthquake to meet his and our God—a God whom the New Testament describes as a "consuming fire" (Heb. 12:29).

Elijah's departure spoke of judgment. But God's grace descended to earth onto the shoulders of Elisha.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.