The Power That Is In Your Bones

II Kings 13: ¹⁴Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. ²⁰And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.  ²¹And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.

This is a unique passage about a miracle that stands by itself.  The raising of the dead happened several times in the Bible.  Here Elisha had been dead for some time and just the mere touch of his bones revived another dead person.  That’s power!  Let’s think about the power that was within his bones and the power that can be in ours.  Let’s look at the potential in us as Christians.

Our skeletal system is needed for all our systems to function.  Imagine how we’d look without our skeleton. It defines us.  We need Jesus from the inside out, from the interior depths of our heart and soul to the bones that make up our body.  All that was left of Elisha was his bones, and they still had the power of God.  Our life work never ceases. Long after we’re dead and gone our relationship with the Lord will continue on this earth because of the effect we have now on others—whether it’s good or bad.  Look at the influence of Hitler. Sad to say, he’s still influencing people today.  After we die, what we’ve done can live on.  Make it count now.

Elijah and Elisha had the power of life.  They were men of action.  Waters parted for them.  The mantle God has given us through Jesus Christ, our real-life Christianity, needs to be used. The more we use the Lord every day, the more that will be done.  Are you living a passive Christian life or an active one?  I’m not just talking about being active in church, and you should.  Use the altar. Participate in worship.  Be involved.  God acts from heaven in response to our actions. How active are you in general as a Christian?

Recognize the power in your bones.  It’s the same that Elisha had.  I want you to notice some things about Elisha.

1. While he lived, he had the power of unwavering faith.  When he quit plowing, he quit plowing.  He burned his bridges and went on for the Lord.
2. He had the power of unhesitating obedience to God’s word.  He didn’t discuss it with the Lord or wait to think about it.  He did it.  When God speaks, are we obedient?  Elisha was tuned into the word of God.  He knew God’s voice.  He listened to it and obeyed it.
3. He had the power of a faithful, consistent life.  He didn’t live for the Lord on the Sabbath and forget him the rest of the week.  Can you say you live a consistent life for the Lord?  Doing so will result in power that will go to your bones.  Don’t flip Jesus off and on in your life.
4. He had the power of divine connection with God.  He knew how to get hold of God.  He knew how to pray and pay attention to God.  He was reverent.  He talked to God.  How are you at praying?  Many of us can yack on the phones until the batteries go dead but stumble when we talk to God. Here is the power.  Start praying again.  Start living again.  Get into action.  Be faithful.  Study God’s word and do it.

Elisha got sick.  The king grieved because he was dying.  What an impact he had.  You’d think with all the power that he had he would have healed himself.  However, he accepted the power of God’s will.  He knew it was time to leave.  There will come a time when we’ll have to leave.  Will we accept it or get angry? All the powers he had while healthy gave him the all-important power to be able to accept God’s will, should God choose to take us home to Heaven, instead of prolonging our stay here.

Elisha died having the power of God in his bones.  After we’re gone, what will our impact be?  The way we deal with the circumstances in our lives will help or hurt others.

If a dead man had such power, how much more can we right now?

Live such a life that, when you die and afterward, the power of your life can live on, touching and changing the lives of others.

If not, when you die, you will most assuredly be dead.