2 Kings 2:1 – “The time had come for the Lord to take Elijah up to heaven…”
It’s a hard thing for someone to leave this earth, that you so greatly love. It can also be equally hard to now know or understand why they were taken when they were. Some live a long life, while others are taken in the prime of their life. The Lord has prepared Elijah. He is going to be taken up to heaven. Elijah is preparing Elisha, his successor. Elisha is a great blessing to the Kingdom, but it seems as if Elijah still has some really good years left. It seems like Eljah is in a pretty good place, still doing great and impacting things for God, so why take him now? There can be many reason we could give for Elijah not to leave, but the scripture gives the most simple reason of all, “The time had come for the Lord to take Elijah…” Elijah’s time had come. It was his time to go to heaven. His time to go be with God. His time to leave this earth and be in the presence of God. We don’t know why God chose that time, but we do know Elisha didn’t take it well. Elijah was good with it, while Elisha had a hard time with it. If the person taken knows the Lord, it’s always easier for them to leave, than it is on the one’s that are left behind. Sometimes its easier to take when it makes more sense. Then at other times, we just can’t get why. Its those times that we must trust. Trust that God’s timing is way beyond human understanding. Like you, I don’t get why it would have anything for Elijah to stay a little longer. I mean Elisha could have used some more guidance along his own journey. Evil leaders could’ve used more confrontation and heavenly fire. Nope! Elijah’s “time had come.” It’s just that simple. No explanation. No follow up. No earthly rhyme or reason. It was God’s time for Elijah. I know, like me, you’d like to know. Sometimes, its more important to trust, than it is to know. We trust God’s timing when He works in our life, we must also trust Him when its His time for when life is over. God seems to have looked at Elijah’s assignment on earth as being completed; and in order for Elisha to step in do what God called him to do, Elijah had to step out of what he’d been called to do. Whatever your loss friend, trust in God’s timing. Trust that His ways are higher, and His understanding greater. Just trust Him.