I Need to Know You’re Real

Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over. 2 Kings 2:14

When my life fell apart due to my addiction, and I lost everything, I turned to God, desperately seeking his help in finding a new life. And I genuinely changed my life, making a daily effort to follow God instead of myself. If I was going to make this commitment though, I needed to know it was going to improve my condition. I needed to know that God was there, that he was real, and that I could find a better life in him. Granted, I didn’t have a lot of options at the time. A life of following me had left me empty and lost. Still, I desperately wanted to know that following God was going to work. So, I asked him. God, let me know you’re real. I need to feel something. I need to experience some authentic transformation.

I look back on those times now with fondness – not at the loss and the disaster – but at the closeness and the revelation of God. It was like a drink of cold water to someone dying in the desert. I desperately needed God and in desperately seeking him, he showed up to let me know he was there, that he was real, and that in following him, I’d never go back to that life disaster. I still thank God every day for showing up in my life back then.

I need to know you’re there. That’s the sentiment I hear in Elisha’s words in today’s passage. In the story, Elisha had asked that his mentor’s (Elijah’s) prophetic call and authority be passed on to him. Now, he needed to test it. Once Elijah was taken up into heaven, Elisha turned to the river that Elijah had just miraculously parted and he set out to repeat the same miracle. Are you with me God? Elisha struck the waters and they parted – proof that God was there.

If you’re like me, you’ve had those moments when you questioned God, needing to know if he was there or not. Often though, I’ve asked for silly things. If you’re there, flicker the lights. God, I think, doesn’t dance for us though. He asks that we follow him and promises that in following him, we’ll find a new life. Peter didn’t walk on the water until he stepped out of the boat, and I didn’t feel God’s miraculous presence until I followed him with reckless abandon. So, if you find yourself in desperate need, and if you want to know if God is there, turn to him with authentic desperation. Know though, that to truly test his presence, you’re going to have to abandon yourself and follow him. God draws near to those who desperately draw near to him (James 4:8).