Daily Devotional by Joel Osteen – “Double”

Daily Devotional by Joel Osteen Topic: Double SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 2:9, NLT Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.” And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.” Elisha had faithfully served the prophet, Elijah, for many years and went everywhere he went. When Elijah was about to be taken to heaven, he asked Elisha what he wanted. You would think Elisha would ask for something ordinary, perhaps a monetary gift to provide for his future. But Elisha had learned how to pray bold prayers. He asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. He was saying, “I want to have twice the anointing, twice the favour, and to do twice as many miracles.” Elijah could have said, “You have a lot of nerve. You better ask for something more realistic.” But Elijah liked his boldness. He said in effect, “Stay with me, and you’ll receive what you asked,” and that’s exactly what happened. When I grew up, the devil was a reason why I had a headache or the devil was the reason I got mad today. We always blamed the devil. I think today when I say the enemy, I like to make it broader. Sometimes the enemy can be our own thoughts. We’ve trained ourselves the wrong way. Or the enemy can be our own lack of discipline. Some people preach about hell like you’re already going there, and to me, the Gospel means Good News. I’d rather say God is a God of mercy. So I think the people already know what they’re doing wrong, and I certainly believe in hell. But to me, when I see thousands of people before me, it just doesn’t come out of me to say, “You guys are terrible, and you’re going to hell.” I’d rather say that God is a God of mercy. You’ve got to live an obedient life, but for every mistake you’ve made, there’s mercy there, and I believe we can do better. ALSO READ The Covenant by Pastor Sam Adeyemi (Daystar Christian Centre)