Last week, we talked about Hope in the Darkness and that was through allowing our Faith to Arise. We saw that when we get into the valley in our lives sometimes it is all due to our pride, and not trusting God and His ways. Sometimes we get impatient on God and do things our ways. This usually doesn’t work out very well, and we may find ourselves in the valley. Remember the valley was a steep gorge that would have been hard to climb the walls. When we repent and see God’s forgiveness, He will help us get out of the valley, but we must continue to walk. If we stop, we are finished, and we have already given up. God doesn’t want us to give up, and is why He gives us a way out, and that begins with repentance. We need to ask ourselves a question are there areas of my life that I am still ? Deuteronomy 6:5 NASB Matthew 22:37 NASB Luke 10:27 NASB Jeremiah 29:13 NASB So even scripture proves, that God wants our whole heart and not just part of it. Many times, we do not give God everything because: Pride - doesn't allow us to fully trust God Control - to give Him everything Fear - afraid of the unknown and stepping out Identity problems - not knowing who we really are in Christ Failed to Surrender - not giving God everything, and following His word 1 Kings 19:19-21 Elijah came by and threw his mantle on him . At that point it was Elisha’s choice to follow Elijah or not. We see this because Elijah didn’t stop and wait for Elisha’s response, but he kept walking, and Elisha had to run after Elijah. Elijah was going to keep walking and not just stand around waiting for a response and a reaction from Elisha. Elijah was focused on the ministry and wasn't going to allow anyone to hold him back. Elijah noticed a calling on Elisha and was giving Elisha the opportunity to come and follow him. Elisha didn’t know how to be a prophet, or really what his role and leadership would be, but he surrendered. Not only did he surrender, but he also went back and kissed his parents’ goodbye, he took the very instrument that he used for a livelihood, the oxen and plow and burned them. He fed everyone around, and then with nothing left he followed Elijah. He got rid of everything in his past and this allowed him to fully surrender his time to serve Elijah. There was no looking back at this point. He was totally surrendering to the man of God, to learn, glean, and then be promoted. We find Jesus giving the dispiples a choice to follow Him as well in Matthew 4:19 and Mark 1:17 Matthew 4:18-22 The disciples basically burned their plows when they gave up everything they had, owned, and even family to follow Jesus. Mark 1:21-22 It said they were amazed at His teaching. It wasn’t one of complacency, tolerance, or with a religious, personal gain out of it. No, it was one having authority, and not as the scribes (religious mindset). Mark 23-28 It says the news about Him spread everywhere. There was no self promotion by Jesus, the news spread by the miracles He performed. Scripture says: and they will you by your . Luke 6:39-41 Being a servant of God, burning the plows of our past, and fully surrendering to the authority of God, we begin to act, walk, and do what our Master does. The enemy doesn’t want us to burn the plows, and get rid of the means, and lifestyle of our pasts. No, he wants us to hold onto that so that if things get to tough, we quit and revert to the way we used to be. We need to ask ourselves – have I give up and let go of the plows in my life to follow Jesus? Are we willing to burn the yolk of false responsibility that we have placed upon our shoulders. This yoke will only weigh us down, slow us down, and prevent us from moving in all that God has for us. Undealt with sin is also a yoke of the past that becomes our present and prevents us from moving forward as well.