Parted Waters

Scripture was written all around water. The Bible mentions three times of the water being parted, can you name all three? You can probably name about two: parting of the Red Sea and the parting of the Jordan, what is the third? The third parted water is found in Elisha after Elijah was taken up to heaven.

Exodus 14:13-22 (NIV)  Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.” Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. This passage of Scripture speaks of escape.  God provides miraculous deliverance for His people as they were fleeing Egypt into the land that was promised. God can make a way when there is no way. God makes a way for His children when they are coming out of the harder circumstances of life. You may be going through the valley right now, but God is making a way for you out of what you are doing.

Joshua 3:14-17 (NIV)  So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.    This passage is about going into what God has promised for you. The Israelites were wandering in the desert for 40 years. Many of them had doubts as to whether they were actually going to this land promised to them. The purpose of taking them out of the land of Egypt was to have them in. . God wants us out of our sins but into His own presence.

2nd kings 2:9-15 (NIV) When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two. Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over. The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.
This passage speaks bout empowerment. Elisha was not arrogant. God will answer big prayers to those who will receive it. Elisha changed his mentality by "changing" his clothes. Prophets are watching him. Elisha needed God then and there because He did not know how everything was going to work. This is the entrance to new anointing of empowerment. God was going to do a new work through Elisha. Elisha was in a place of being refined before Elijah was taken into heaven.

What do all these bring together? They bring together that it is always about God honoring obedience in action. When you step out of obedience to God, favor will come. These examples did not know what they were getting into, but their faith was called into action.

What does this mean for us? This means that if we are either going out of a hard trouble, into a unforeseen territory, or need to be revived, God will always provide. We have to trust and believe that He will come through. We have to be obedient and let the Holy Spirit move. Our trust needs to be without borders. When we walk with God, He will never leave nor forsake us. This reminds me of a song, "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)". As you finish reading this, meditate on the lyrics to this song. May God forever bless you.

"Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)"

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior


 I will call upon Your Name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine