un-be-leave-able?
"Elisha replied, 'I will not leave you.' " —2 Kings 2:6
Before Elisha received a double portion of Elijah's spirit, Elisha had to refuse to leave Elijah on at least three occasions (2 Kgs 2:2, 4, 6). In Luke's Gospel, Jesus is described as the new Elijah (e.g. see Lk 9:8). Consequently, if we are to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit in a new Pentecost, we also must repeatedly refuse to leave Jesus. Even when Jesus says things we do not understand, we must not leave Him (see Jn 6:66). No matter if Jesus commands us to sell all that we have, and give the proceeds to the poor, we must never leave Him, as the rich young man did (Mt 19:21-22). Even if we are persecuted and led to crucifixion with Jesus, we must never leave Him.
Jesus promised that He would be with us always (Mt 28:20). He would never desert us or forsake us (Heb 13:5). In the Greek, the writer of Hebrews uses five negatives to drive home the point that the Lord will never ever leave us no matter what — no way!
If we accept the Lord's grace to never leave Him Who will never leave us, we will receive and live in the fullness of the Spirit forever. Die rather than leave the Lord.
Prayer: Father, I repent of leaving You so that I could go off and sin.
Promise: "Keep your deeds of mercy secret, and your Father Who sees in secret will repay you." —Mt 6:4
Praise: St. Romuald would frequently be reduced to tears with the "boiling, indescribable heat of divine Love."
Reference: (Are you being called to stay with the Lord by reading the Bible every day? We have several tape series that may help you: Overview of the Bible is six audio tapes starting with AV 10A-1 or three video tapes starting with V-10A. 15-Minute Bible Teaching - New Testament is forty audio tapes starting with #700. An Introduction to each Book of the Bible is thirty-two audio tapes starting with AV 21-1 or seventeen video tapes starting with V-21.)
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, December 4, 2001
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 10, 2001