Asking a difficult thing

Most if not all of us have done this: Ask a difficult question or make a seemingly outrageous statement, and then we are taken back by our audacity. I occasionally speak before my brain considers the consequences of my words. Such expressions can skew a relationship. Or it forces the recipient to rethink what they’ve said or done.

It was time for Elijah to leave this life. His prophetic ministry, healing and demonstrating God’s power to Israel had been fulfilled. This student of his, Elisha, did not want to let him go: a student who knew his teacher’s work needed to be carried forward in new, more audacious hands-his own. Elisha spoke his allegiance, begging to witness Elijah’s ascendancy into heaven. Elisha wanted to doubly prove Elijah’s, his spiritual mentor’s, ministry.

Our predecessors made great sacrifices to get us to where we are today. We also work hard to ensure our children have it better than we did. The next generation’s achievements will outshine ours if they are audacious and creative enough to ask difficult questions and work with difficult answers.

God creates audaciously. God not only made the universe live, but gave us curiosity to imagine beyond today’s possibilities. God invites us to challenge the wrongs in this world and strive to make things right. Are we audacious enough to ask for God’s guidance?

Lord, gift us with spiritual audaciousness. Amen. — SO